BOOK 3: ONE TRUE DESTINY
by samsalvy
Summary: MARY'S MISSING! GONE! Can Francis and Bash set aside their differences to rescue the woman that they both love? HOW FAR WOULD THEY GO TO TAKE HER BACK? Who is behind this chaos? THE FINAL INSTALLMENT. A MULTIPLE CHAPTER. NOTE: I DO NOT OWN REIGN
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE: Hi readers! As stated, this is the final installment. FOR FRARY FANS, I suggest for you to read BOOK 1: ONE TRUE LOVE, the first part**

**of this ****installment; FOR MASH/FRARY FANS, I suggest BOOK 2: ONE TRUE HAPPINESS, the Sequel. The events of each books are related. Thank you **

**in advance ****and ****again, feel free to comment or review. Enjoy! =) I DO NOT OWN REIGN**

**ONE TRUE DESTINY**

**Chapter 1**

**Abducted**

Francis cannot believe what Bash had said. Mary is missing! The young prince together with the royal guards immediately searched the entire castle

interrupting the banquet and alarming all the guests! Bash with other guards led a separate group to maximize their efforts. Mary of Guise as a mother is

frantic and inconsolable. King Henry and Lizzy who's both sitting beside her, are trying to calm her down. Everyone is terrified! Just a few hours ago they are

all celebrating, and now the Queen of Scots is nowhere to be found! Minutes pass… then an hour. Francis and Bash emerged but they cannot find her. "Where

is Mary?! Where is my daughter?!" Mary of Guise cried out loud. "Who might have done this?! Who?!" She exclaimed. "I sent the guards to search the nearby

forest and the near villages. Whoever took Mary cannot go that far." Says Francis as he tries to calm himself down. Bash is about to walk away when Francis

asked, "Where do you think you are going?" Bash obviously worried replied, "I cannot stand here and wait! I should be out there looking for her!" Francis

stood in front of Bash and said, "I am going. If there is someone who should be out there looking for Mary that would be me!" "Enough both of you!" Says King

Henry who stood up and went between his sons. "Now is not the time for this! We are all staying here! That is a command!" He exclaimed. Minutes

later, one of the guards came in running and reported, "Lady Mother, we find no sign of her Majesty! We are searching the ground for trails as we speak."

Then Bash all of a sudden thought about their recent victory. "Father, I must go to the tower to see Darnley. My Instincts are telling me that he have something

to do with this!" he said.

**Disgraced**

As soon as Bash arrived at the tower, he can see that Darnley has completely lost his mind. He is laughing and crying at the same time. Nobody can make

sense of his words and actions. A guard is with him inside his cell to prevent him from doing anything to harm himself. But despite of his state, Bash

insisted that he must be questioned. Upon seeing Bash entering his cell, the fallen Lord gives him a sinister smile. "I know that you are coming." Says Darnley

who is sitting in a wooden chair. "Do you know who I am?" Bash ask as he sits in front of him. "Of course, you are the bastard prince who cost me my crown!"

He answered. "I am here because Queen Mary went missing, and I believe that it is you who did it!" he exclaimed. Darnley started to laugh. "Oh Bash, what

makes you think that?! I am a man of no means! You took everything that I have!" Bash immediately stood up, pulled Darnley off the chair, pressed his back on

the wall and placed his dagger on Darnley's neck! "Where is she?! Where is she?!" He exclaimed. But all Darnley did is laugh and laugh… clearly, he has gone

insane.

**Regret**

Meanwhile back at the castle, all are anxiously waiting for news about the missing Queen. Francis can only hope that Mary will soon be found as the guards

continuously search for her in the darkness. He tried to hold back his tears as he recall the last conversation that they had which didn't end well. All she did is

tell him the truth about Bash, even if she knew that he will be furious. He didn't mean everything that he had said... He now regret that his hate had blinded

him. He remembered her saying that she chose to reveal her true feelings for his brother because she believes that their love for each other is strong enough

to overcome anything and everything. As he closed his eyes a teardrop fell on his cheek. The prince can only pray that that the same love will keep Mary safe

wherever she may be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Vanished**

It is already early morning but Francis is still wide awake. He spent the night with Mary of Guise and King Henry waiting at the court room for tidings. The

young prince is pacing back and forth praying for his fiancée's safe return. He cannot forgive himself if any harm should come to her. King Henry then stood up,

walked towards the prince, place his hands on his shoulders and said, "Francis you must retire. You need to gather back your strength." "I cannot rest until

Mary has been found!" Says the prince who looks extremely worried and desperate. The King then turned to Mary of Guise, "My Lady, you should rest. I will

accompany you to your chamber." He offered his hand which the Lady Mother accepted. "Francis, I will be at my chamber to write letters to our French spies to

enlist their help at this matter." Says the King. The guards are still out looking for Mary and making queries if anyone has seen anything unusual last night.

Surely, the news of a missing Queen will spread quickly in the kingdom. Soon, somebody will come forward to provide information. Then the door open, it is

Bash. "Did you find out anything from Darnley?" Francis anxiously asked. "No, he totally had lost his mind. There is no way that he is responsible for Mary's

disappearance." He replied as he sits down and place his hand on his forehead. It seems like the Queen of Scots just simply vanished into thin air. Then

suddenly, one of the servants came in running towards Francis and said, "Your Highness, I found this inside your chamber!" It is a sealed letter. The prince

immediately open it and inside is an unsigned letter with a red "X" mark and Mary's signet ring! Francis accidentally dropped the ring as his hands begin to

tremble. The worse has indeed had happened! Mary has been abducted! But by who?

**Taken**

Mary woke up seeing nothing but darkness. Her eyes are covered and her hands are tied up in her back… She can barely move her body. Her head feels heavy,

an indication that a potion was used by her captors to put her to sleep as they took her away from the castle and away from the people she know. The last

thing that she can remember is Francis putting an end to their relationship and leaving her by her door. The young prince walked away from her as an angry,

broken man. She had caused him so much pain and anguish all because she chose to be honest with him. Then she thought of Bash. She remembered hearing

him calling out for her and screaming for help… but she was too weak to respond, she cannot get herself to. Where is she now? Who is she with? These

thoughts strike fear in her heart! She started to sob, thinking of the worst… She may not be able to see Francis nor Bash again. And what becomes of her

beloved Scotland? Of her mother? Her abduction can tear her country into pieces! She has to be strong! She tried to calm herself down, thinking about

surviving for the sake of those who are desperately searching for her by now. Though for now, no one else can help her but herself. The Scottish Queen

managed to gather her remaining strength as she struggle trying to pull herself up to sit on the ground. She does not know where she is or if someone is with

her. "Hello! Anybody?! Hello!" She shouted on top of her lungs. "If anybody can hear me, I beg you to release me and no one should know of this." She

pleaded. Then moments have passed… nobody seems to be around to hear her plea... just plain silence. There's no sign of any noise nor sound. It

seems like she is left all alone in a deep, dark, unfamiliar surroundings where no one else can find her.

**Blood Ties**

Mary of Guise came back running at the court room as soon as she heard about Francis' disturbing letter. She confirmed that it is Mary's signet ring and like the

rest of them, she have no clue what the red "X" mark stands for. It could mean anything. Royals are not accustomed to the ways of the real world. They are

kept safe and protected. A Queen's abduction is not simply an act of terror. It is an act that can lead to war! Both foreign and civil. "I must write to my brother,

Francois, The Duke of Guise at once. We will be needing his assistance to take hold of the Scottish court. When all the powerful nobles find out that their Queen

has been abducted, chaos will occur." She anxiously said. A country without a Queen can suffer either the invasion by its foreign enemies or by its ambitious,

power-hungry nobles who will not hesitate to take this opportunity to strike to usurp the throne. One of the guards finally showed up, bend his knees in front

of Mary of Guise and with sadness in his eyes said, "Lady Mother, forgive me. But we have searched every single house in all the villages and the entire area

including the forest. There is no sign anywhere of Her Majesty." He said. All their hopes have faded. Mary of Guise went down on her knees and started to sob.

Bash who is standing needed to lean on the wall to prevent himself from losing his footing… he felt like somebody just forcefully took his heart away, leaving

him lifeless. Francis can barely stand, he slowly sits himself on the ground as he broke down into tears. If they cannot find Mary anywhere, then it means that

she is no longer in Scotland. She must have been taken away and hidden somewhere far where they cannot reach her... She may be suffering by now, all

alone and helpless. Francis had failed to keep his promise, his promise to keep her safe and to keep her away from harm.


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE: Hello readers! This is so far my favorite part of Book 3. I love writing about extreme emotions. As Always, feel free to comment. **

**Chapter 3**

**Atonement**

It has been days since Mary went missing, but they still have no clue as to where she is and who took her. The court did not receive any message or note

from the perpetrators. Everybody is speculating as to why someone will take away a Queen from her country. If it is ransom that they want Scotland is more

than happy to pay. But the motive of her captors remain obscure leaving the court to think of the worse. Francis has been out searching around Scotland all

day and sometimes even all night. The prince vowed that he will not stop searching for her up to his very last breath. He is seeking some form of atonement for

what he had done. He broke Mary's heart and now that she is gone, he can no longer take back the hurtful things that he had said. Perhaps dedicating his life

looking for her and waiting for her return will give him some sort of peace in his heart. Bash feels the same way. If only he did not lose control and if he had his

emotions checked, then the three of them may not be in this situation. The brothers have not spoken about the incident prior to Mary's abduction. It is already

painful that they both had lost the woman that they love so deeply; talking about the possible reason that may have cause her disappearance is like adding

insult to injury. But they both know that soon, they will have a serious discussion… they cannot keep on avoiding each other. Bash is just staring at the garden

fountain and engage to his deep thoughts. He is so occupied thinking about Mary that he does not even notice his fiancée sitting right next to him. "Bash, can I

tell you something?" Asks Lizzy. He then turned to her and said, "Of course Lizzy." The English queen took a deep breath and said, "I know that you

love Mary." Upon hearing this Bash bowed his head. He knows that Lizzy deserves better than a man whose heart and soul belongs to another. She then

placed her hand on top of his', looked him in the eye and rested her head on his shoulder. "Are we still up for the wedding Bash? Or would you rather be

honest to yourself so we can both publicly call the engagement off." Asks Lizzy. The Pope had already granted Bash's legitimacy. He is now France's second

in line to the throne. Marrying Lizzy is now optional. He placed his head on top of Lizzy's head and asks, "Are you willing to wed a man who can promise you

everything, but not his heart?"

**The Duke of Guise**

Francois, the Duke of Guise is Mary's uncle. He is a man of extreme wealth and power. He is a well-known figure in France and in his native Scotland. He served

the French army for quite some time as a young foreign Duke acquiring the best military training, then worked his way up as an excellent general. He had

proven his undoubted loyalty to the French court by winning battles against Spain and Italy. He is currently serving as a prominent member of France's Royal

Council and is considered as King Henry's most trusted adviser. Francois, like the rest of the court is appalled regarding what had happened to Queen Mary.

As the first born of the House of Guise he considered Mary's abduction as a grave insult. He vowed to bring back Scotland's honor by retrieving his niece by any

means necessary and punishing severely those who have tarnished their family name. Mary of Guise together with the council members are patiently waiting

for the Duke's arrival outside the castle. After a few moments, they saw his carriage approaching. As soon as the Duke emerge, everybody cannot help but

admire his confidence and charm. "Welcome back brother." Says Mary of Guise as she proceeded to give him a hug. "Sister, it has been too long." He replied.

Then together the siblings entered the castle with the rest of the council members behind them.

**Last Farewell**

Today is the day that Queen Elizabeth of England is traveling back to her country. The cancellation of her engagement with Bash caused both sadness and

disappointment to the English. Bash could have been their most excellent King Consort. Lizzy bid the court a last farewell, knowing that she will never set foot

to Scotland again. Bash is present to see her off. He held her hand as he escorted her inside her carriage. He is about to walk away when Lizzy said,

"Bash, I will be forever thankful to you and to Mary for showing me what true love is all about. You will always have a special place in my heart. You are going

to be a great king someday." Then she gives him one last kiss. Bash gives her a smile. "Thank you Lizzy, for saving us both from a marriage that is

based mainly on politics. You will be England's greatest queen and history will consider you a legend." He said. Then her carriage started to move leaving

Bash behind. He hope that Lizzy will find her one true love someday, like he did with Mary.

Francis heard about Bash's disengagement with Lizzy as soon as he came back from his search for Mary in the remote villages. The prince proceeded directly to

Bash's chamber. As soon as Francis opened the door, "You just lost France's most powerful ally!" He exclaimed. Bash immediately walked towards Francis, "The

Queen of England deserves better! I made a promise to Mary that I will always be honest to Lizzy!" He replied with a hard tone. Then Francis stood up in front

of him, "Oh, Is that so?! Is that really the reason Bash?! Or is it because now that you are a crown prince of France, you think that you can take my fiancée

away from me?! Bash you are wrong to think that!" He said with a threatening tone. Then Bash answered, "You have ended your relationship with Mary the

night that she disappeared little brother, or don't you remember?!" Francis is stunned. He gave him a questioning look. "Yes, I was there. I heard your entire

conversation with her. I witnessed how you broke her heart that night! That means that you can no longer claim her as your fiancée! When Mary comes back,

she have the right to choose whom she truly want to spend the rest of her life with." Bash added.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**A Clue**

Francois, the Duke of Guise is having a private discussion with Mary of Guise in the council chamber regarding the Scottish Queen. The Duke is about to begin

his intensive search for his niece. Clearly, whoever had abducted Mary possesses enough influence and means to perform such an act. "Think Sister, think

harder. I need to know what happened the night before your daughter disappeared." Says the Duke while holding her hands as they both seated in the

council table. "Francois, I cannot think of anything that is out of the ordinary that night. I have been trying to recall every detail that can provide us any clue as

to who or why someone will abduct Mary." She replied as she wipes her tears. The Duke then stood up to pace the room hoping that by doing so, he will be

able to formulate speculations that can serve as their guide in finding the young Queen. Then Mary of Guise remembered the unsigned letter with a red

"X" mark received by Francis, the one containing Mary's signet ring! She suddenly stood up, run to her chambers, then came back with that same letter in her

hands. "Francois, this is the only thing that the perpetrators had left to let us know that Mary has been taken." She says as she hands the letter to her

brother. Upon seeing the symbol, the Duke's hands begin to tremble. He immediately identified what the red "X" mark stands for. It is the mark of a secret

organization known as "The Order," a group of highly skilled mercenaries! Whoever is behind Mary's abduction is much more powerful than he had anticipated!

He suddenly became fearful for his niece. He cannot hide his fear from his sibling. "Sister we must act quickly! We must ask for assistance from France. Mary is

taken by men who pledge no allegiance to any country or to anyone but the promise of extreme wealth and power. These group of men are responsible for

changing the fate of nations for centuries. If their price have been met, they do not hesitate to do whatever is being ask of them." Says the Duke. Mary of

Guise stood up and said, "If fortune is what they wanted, then why didn't they ask us for ransom?" Francois replied, "Because The Order had already

determine that whatever Scotland has to offer cannot match what has already been offered for Mary's abduction. I believe that the person who have enlisted

The Order's service had offered them a deal that they cannot refuse… a deal that is more than promising than a huge amount of ransom."

**The Order**

Francis and Bash have been summoned at the court room by King Henry. They are uncomfortably sitting beside each other as they wait for their father. "I am

still Mary's fiancé, regardless of what had happen that night." Francis said as he turns to his brother. Bash then look at him and replied, "We are now both the

prince of France. We now have the same entitlement. Mary will have France's support by marrying either one of us. So you see little brother, she can marry the

man of her choosing without breaking the alliance." Before their discussion can go further, the King together with Francois arrived. King Henry said, "My sons,

we firmly believe that a group of mercenaries known as The Order is responsible for Mary's abduction. These are not ordinary mercenaries. The Order is

responsible for the rise and fall of empires; they are highly organized and well connected." Francis stood up and said, "Father, are you trying to tell us that we

cannot do anything to get Mary back?" The King took a deep breath and replied, "We do believe that The Order is working for someone who possess extreme

power… even more powerful than a king." The Duke of Guise walk towards Francis and said, "Your Highness, for us to retrieve Mary we must immediately open

negotiations to acquire truce with King Philip of Spain." The prince is curious as to why they must unite themselves to the man who is responsible for the

thousand deaths of French soldiers and who is France's loaded enemy. "Why King Philip? Of all the Kings in world, why must we acquire his assistance? The

prince asked. "We all know that that Spanish King can lead us all into grave danger!" He added. Then King Henry answered, "He is the only individual who truly

knows how The Order operates because he used to be one of them. We need his guidance and his connections for us to save Mary."

**The Lost Queen**

Mary cannot tell if it is day or night. Her abductors had kept her tied and blindfolded. Upon waking up, she could sense that they have moved her from that

deep, dark space into a vessel of some sort. She can feel that her surroundings are moving, and hear the familiar sound of waves, they are now sailing! They

are taking her somewhere else! She is traveling to an unknown destination with unfamiliar company who refuse to utter a word, not even a single word! She is

now lost and all alone in the middle of the ocean, far away from Scotland… away from Francis and Bash. She started to sob. Then she felt that someone had

just slightly opened the door, perhaps to see how she is doing. "I am Mary Queen of Scots, I beg whoever is responsible for my abduction to answer me! Who

are you?! What is it that you want?!" She cried. But instead of an answer, she heard the door being closed. Mary is now beginning to completely lose hope;

her hope that she will be reunited with her loved ones is rapidly fading as the waves carry her away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**The Choice**

Francis and Bash are willing to do whatever it takes to have Mary back. Bash is all the more bolder and determined to prove that he is the right one for Mary.

He believes that he already had sacrificed enough by withholding his true feelings for so long to give way for his younger brother, but Francis blew it. Bash

regret that he did not profess his love for the Scottish Queen sooner when he had the chance to do so. Perhaps if he did, then that would have made a

difference. Francis is prepared to fight for what he strongly believes that belongs to him. He will not give Mary up that easily; he will make amends and will

re-establish his relationship with his fiancée ones she is found. In Francis' mind, he and Mary are going to be finally wed and will have children. Compromise is

not an option for these two. They are in love with the same woman; the only solution is to let Mary decide whom she would like to spend the rest of her life

with. However, these brothers have no choice but to learn how to set aside their dispute for the time being and work together for Mary's sake. They are about

to face King Philip, their greatest enemy to negotiate truce in exchange for his assistance in retrieving the Scottish Queen from her abductors. This option is a

desperate option, but it is the only way to guarantee Mary's safe return. The two princes are accompanied by Francois, the Duke of Guise as they sail to Spain.

Francis is sitting silently at the ship's deck waiting for the sunrise when Bash approached him. Bash proceeds to sit beside his brother and said, "Francis, I

never thought that I will fall in love with Mary. It was never my intention to hurt you and to go between the two of you. Believe me, I tried with all my strength

to resist what I feel. But like you said to me before, we are all servants when it comes to love." After a moment of silence, Francis looked at his brother and

smiled. "Bash, I knew that you were secretly in love with Mary. I saw the way you look at her, the way you acted each time you're around her, and the way

your eyes sparkled each time she gives you a smile. I thought that our brotherly love for each other will take precedence over our love for Mary, but it didn't.

I cannot blame you for how you feel towards Mary, as much as you cannot blame me for feeling betrayed. But now, that is of no importance. What truly matters

is that we both love her so much that we are man enough to admit it." Says Francis. Bash gives his brother a tap on the back and smiled as they watch as the

sun appears in the bright skies.

**A New Companion**

Mary can no longer live like this! She's been held captive for days without knowing as to why someone will do this to her. A Queen's disappearance can ruin a

nation, lives can be lost as a result of nobles fighting for her throne. She needs to have a plan to outsmart his abductors for her sake and for Scotland's sake.

The Queen felt that the ship is beginning to decrease its speed, a possible indication that they are about to dock. She has to think and act fast! Her choice is

either to run for her life when given the chance or to wait for Francis and Bash to save her. She is fearful for her life though she is never harmed nor neglected.

Her abductors made sure that she is well fed; a certain individual is assigned to feed her while her hands remained tied and her eyes blindfolded. The person

who takes care of her is tongue-tied, refusing to answer any of her questions. Mary's attempt to establish a conversation remains unsuccessful. Then she felt

that the door open, it must be her caretaker. The unknown individual proceeded to feed her. "Whoever you may be, I would like to thank you for taking such

good care of me. I have no means to express my gratitude because of my current circumstances, but I want you to know that I am grateful for your service."

Says Mary as she attempts to find out the identity of her companion. Moments later, she felt that the vessel had stopped. She heard the door being opened

and a couple of footsteps are walking towards her. A man's voice commanded, "Bring the queen to the carriage." Finally! Mary heard a voice, but this is a

strange voice. The man's accent suggest that his native language is not English, but something different. Then she felt two individuals stood on both her sides

and place their hands on her forearms, escorting her out of the ship. At this point, she knows that she cannot yet escape. They brought her inside the carriage

and she heard the men signaling the coachman to move. After about half an hour the movement stopped, and again two individuals escorted the Scottish

Queen out of the carriage and they started to walk with her. Mary can hear the sound of opening gates and the sound of footsteps from multiple individuals.

She is accompanied to climb up the stairs and before she knows it, her unknown companions opened a door, tied her in the chair, and then left. Mary ones

again, is in unfamiliar surroundings. All she knows is she is inside a chamber of some sort. "Hello! Is anyone here?! Can anybody hear me?!" Mary exclaimed.

Then she heard a voice of a young man answering, "Who asked?! Who's here with me?!" Mary's heart jump! She knows now that she is not alone! "I am Mary,

Queen of Scots. I have been held captive for days by these unknown men! Who are you?! And why are you here with me?!" She replied anxiously. Then the

young man answered, "I am Prince Carlos of Asturias, the only son of King Philip of Spain. I have been held captive for weeks! You are the first individual that I

am able to talk to." Mary is frightened to know that another royalty has been abducted by the same group of men! Now she is with the heir to the throne of

Spain! "Prince Carlos, where are you?! They tied me in the chair and they kept my eyes covered!" Says Mary. The Spanish prince replied, "So am I, Queen Mary!

I have not seen the light for weeks. I will try to loosen my hand ties and ones I am successful, I will come to you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**King Philip**

The man of many talents, Philip of Spain is the King of the prosperous and most supreme kingdom of the world. He had successfully extended his Spanish

Empire as far as Asia Pacific through financing expeditions aiming to discover unknown territories. "Las Islas Filipinas," also known today as the Republic of the

Philippines is named after him. He is currently trying to claim Italy as part of his empire which made Spain in collision course with France. The Italian territories

have caused both the Spanish and the French decades of war and dispute; both countries have settled to divide Italy in half, at least for now. But despite

having a settlement, sporadic attacks of the French territory by Spain is still occurring, which forces King Henry to retaliate and to protect his realm at all cost.

A truce may not be easily established with this foreign ruler, but Francis together with Bash and the Duke of Guise are eager to achieve just that, Mary's life

depends on it. Upon entering the Spanish court, the two French prince cannot help but admire the display of King Philip's wealth. They have to walk through

Spain's famous garden, which its magnificence have made many visitors compare it with that of the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The castle is as

grandiose as that of its outside surroundings. The ceiling is fully painted with images depicting Spain's successful foreign campaigns and all the walls are

decorated with either gold or silver. In the middle of the court sits the Spanish King, waiting for his guests' arrival. Then the herald announced, "My Lords and

Your Majesty, presenting Prince Francis and Prince Sebastian of the House of Valois, the princes of France and their company Francois, the Duke of Guise of

Scotland. The three walk anxiously towards the throne, and bowed before the king. His Majesty stood up and immediately welcomes his guests by hugging

each of them, much to everybody's surprise! "Your Majesty, we are honored to be at your presence and to have your gracious hospitality." Says Francis, who

did not expect him to do such a warm gesture. King Philip smiled and replied, "The honor is mine, young prince. I have been looking forward to meet King

Henry's sons. I heard so many great things about you two from Queen Elizabeth of England; she sent word through her English envoy requesting for my

assistance regarding your plight. Come, we must talk in private." Then they left the courtroom and proceeded in the council chamber. Francis, Bash, and the

Duke of Guise settled themselves while King Philip prepared them drinks. "We share the same predicament." Says the Spanish King as he pour wine for his

guests. "I have done so many things during my youth, things that I am not proud of; and now my past is beginning to haunt me." He added as he hands the

glass of wine to them three. Then Bash asks, "Your Majesty, if I may ask, is it true that you are…" Bash is interrupted. "Yes! I was. And please call me Philip…

I am a former member of The Order." The King replied as he took a deep breath. He then sits down and started to tell them his story. "My only son is taken by

The Order a few weeks ago while he was sailing to Asia. Initially, we thought that his ship was attacked by pirates and that they took him as hostage to

demand for ransom. But when I found an unsigned letter with the red "X" mark with my son's signet ring left in my chamber, I knew then that The Order is

responsible for my son's disappearance." Francis then anxiously asks, "Philip, is there any way that we can negotiate with them? Or for us to at least know

what their demands are?" The Spanish King stood up, and briefly paced back and forth. He looked Francis in the eye and said, "I have enlisted my best spies to

track them down, but there has been no sign of their whereabouts. I have not received any other message from them. Young prince, you must understand that

we are dealing with an organization whose power extends beyond anyone that you know. I have witnessed their cunning ways as they try to control the fate

of the world." The Duke of Guise stood up and asks, "Philip, how did you free yourself from The Order?" The Spanish King with a sad smile replied, "When I

decided that I wanted to leave the group, they held me captive. My father, King Charles, gave them majority of our territories in the New World, granted them

titles, and a huge amount of ransom in exchange for my life. I truly am lucky that my father was able to convince them to take his offer." Then all of them

became silent as they begin to fully understand what they are up against. King Philip sits down and said, "Whoever is behind my son's disappearance and

Queen Mary's abduction is a man that we all have to fear."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**The Gallant Prince**

It is late night when Mary woke up seeing a new environment. Her eyes have been covered for days that she cannot believe that she can finally see the light!

She is free! Her hand ties are gone! The Scottish Queen found herself lying in a bed inside a chamber belonging to her captors. She doesn't know yet where

she is exactly. She moved her hands to give it a stretch, they've been on restraint for days. As her eyes begin to wander, she saw a young man's back who

seem to be occupied staring at the window. Mary raised her head and called, "Prince Carlos, is that you?" The prince then turned around, and Mary immediately

saw how attractive the Spanish prince is. He is tall, fair skinned, with well-built body, with short dark hair, and blue eyes. Although his captivity made his attire

untidy, Mary cannot help but admire his looks. He walk towards Mary and sits beside her in the bed and said, "Are you alright Queen Mary?" The concern prince

inspected the Queen's hands and saw that the hand ties left bruises on her wrists. "I am fine. How did you free me?" Asks Mary. The gallant prince smiled and

said, "I told you I will come to you when I am able to loosen my hand ties, slowly but surely I did. I apologize for the long wait. You were sleeping in the chair

when I was able to free you, I laid you in the bed afterwards." The Scottish Queen have so many questions, questions that Carlos might have the answer.

"Carlos, what do you think these men want from us? Why are we here?" She asks. The Spanish prince took a deep breath and replied, "Believe me, I have

been asking that question to myself since they took me. I was sailing an expedition somewhere around Asia when our ship was suddenly attacked. All my

companions were killed mercilessly. The last image that I saw was that of my sinking ship and with it were the rest of my possessions, before they covered my

eyes. It took days of travel before they finally brought me here. I tried talking to them, but my efforts were of no avail. They never mentioned anything about

their motive nor have given me any hint as to why I am taken. Although I recognized that one of them have a distinct accent… an Italian accent." Mary then

thought that Carlos may be referring to the same man who ordered the men to bring her to the carriage when the ship had docked, but she cannot be sure.

The Scottish Queen remains anxious but is somehow relieved that she is not alone to face this ordeal. Now, she's with a young prince who seems to be both

courteous and trustworthy. She placed her hand on top of his' and smilingly said, "Thank you for your assistance, Your Highness." Carlos gave Mary's hand a

squeeze and said, "Don't thank me yet. We need to have a plan to get out of here. I've been observing how the guards are conducting their rounds, it seems

like they are less in number during the day. That gives us the opportunity to try to escape and leave this place. Soon one of them will come here to check on us

and they will find out that we have managed to free ourselves. We must act before they will move us again to an unknown location. These men are determined

to keep us both in their grasps."

**Memories**

Meanwhile, Francis is spending his night admiring Spain's famous garden at the castle's terrace. The prince cannot help but let his tears fall. Seeing such a view

made him long for Mary all the more. He remembered her smile; her way of expressing her appreciation of the simple things in life. As Francis sits down, he

wished that she is sitting right next to him overlooking Spain's magnificent garden. It is a breezy night and the full moon is not ashamed to show itself; the

night sky is full of stars which reminded him of the time when they traveled together to Scotland. It was a week long travel, but it was the time when they truly

bonded and got to know each other better. He's been such a fool to doubt their love for each other; a fool for choosing to end their relationship that night.

The prince drinks his wine from its bottle in an attempt to calm himself down and to prevent his mind from thinking of the worse. King Philip clearly stated that

they are facing a formidable foe, an unidentified individual whose intentions remain unknown to them. He closed his eyes as he pray for her safety, and for her

return. Then he remembered the letter that Mary had written when they spent the night together on her chamber in France, that night when they almost lost

themselves to finally give in to their hearts' desires. He took the letter out of his jacket pocket and reread its content:_ "My Dear Francis, Not a day goes by that I _

_do not look forward seeing your face as I open my eyes in the morning. I am now more than ever devoted to you… and to you alone. I wish that we can run away and _

_forget about everything else… forget our duties and live a simple life elsewhere. But you and I know that this is unfeasible. Lately, I have been distant because I am _

_afraid to completely loose myself with you. My love, I beg you not to doubt my affections. I am yours, and you are mine always.- Mary." _These words made him sob.

"Mary! Mary! Mary!" He cried out loud in the night. But the only answer that he had is the echo of silence. The prince finds himself hoping against hope, as the

moon and the stars are covered by the night clouds, dimming the night sky.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**A conversation**

"So tell me Carlos, how does it feel to be the Prince of Spain?" Asks Mary as she and the Spanish prince are lying on the floor, gazing at the stars in the night

sky through the window, the only view that they have. Carlos turned to her and replied, "My father is a very powerful man, he like other kings expect me to

follow his footsteps; to be just like him or even better." Mary smiled and said, "Well, King Philip sure is lucky to have you as his son considering that you remain

grounded despite all your wealth and privileges. I am pretty much aware that you will be the King of an Empire, not a country." The prince laughed. "Mary, if it

is up to me I prefer to run away and to live a simple life in an unknown island with the woman that I will love until the rest of my days." The Scottish Queen

suddenly became silent, she remembered saying almost the same thing to Francis. "Is there something that I said that offended Her Majesty?" the prince

asked. "No, not at all Carlos… just memories." She replied in a sad tone. He gave her a worried look and said, "He is such a fool to let you go." Mary turned to

him and asked, "What? What did you say?" He smiled and replied, "The man who caused you so much pain, I call him a fool to let go of someone as precious as

you. Mary, I can tell when a woman's heart is broken… do not be ashamed to show me how you really feel." The Scottish Queen took a deep breath and said,

"He is my first kiss, my first dance, and my first love… It wasn't entirely his fault. I did some things that made him hate me." Then her tears started to fall down

her cheeks. "He ended our relationship the same night that I was abducted." She added. Upon seeing Mary cry, Carlos used his hands to wipe her tears.

"Hush, hush, Mary. It is painful now, but believe me when I say this shall pass. You will move on and find a man who will truly appreciate you." He said as he

tried to console her. "I believe that there is someone for everyone, we are all created to find our own happiness as we live." He added. "Why is it that you are

so knowledgeable about these things?" Mary asked. He smiled and said, "I do not mean to be boastful but I got myself involve with a lot of women hoping that

one of them is she… she whom I would like to be stuck with in an unknown island. "You mean, you've been intimate with them or some sort?" Asks Mary. The

prince just nodded. The Scottish Queen cannot help but show her disappointment… all the while she thought that Carlos is an angel. The Spanish prince seeing

her dismayed, held her hand and said, "Mary, I was not happy nor proud of hurting someone, especially when they have given me a special part of them.

Sadly, I cannot stay committed for too long… perhaps because I know deep inside that they were not the one, and that to stay with them will only cause more

pain and agony. As royalties, we are engaged for alliances. My father and Spain expect that from me. But I vowed to myself that I will only wed the one that I

truly love." Mary gave him a curious look. "Carlos, how is that possible? How would you know that you are with the right person? That it is not a

mistake?" The prince took a deep breath, looked Mary in the eye and replied, "All I know is ones I find her, I will never let her go."

**The Only Way In**

It is early morning when Bash decided to have a private audience with King Philip. He found the Spanish King in the garden painting a portrait. "Good morning,

Your Majesty. May I interrupt?" asks Bash. "Of course, what is it about?" Philip replied as he continuous to paint without looking at Bash. "Is he your son?" He

asked. "Yes. His name is Carlos, my only son." The king sadly answered. Then Bash said, "I would like to know how to become a member of The Order." Upon

hearing this the King stop drawing and turned to Bash. "Young prince, you and my son are of the same age. I will not allow you to engage into something that

will put you in danger. No father would wish his son to be in harm's way!" Then the King started to walk away, but Bash remained persistent regarding his

query to the extent of following him. "Philip, I am asking you as a friend. How did you become a member? I beg you to tell me, it might be the only way for us to

retrieve Mary and your son." He said pleadingly. Philip stopped walking and said, "Bash, the only way in to The Order is to relinquish your identity and to forget

everybody that you love. You will be dead to the world. No one must know where you are or who you with. Ones they welcome you, there is no turning back."

"But you were able to get out." Says Bash. Philip looked at Bash in the eye. "I survived because my father paid the ultimate price… not only did he

gave them titles, ransom, and territories... he gave himself up to be held captive for the remainder of his days in exchange for my freedom." The Spanish King

replied with a trembling voice. "Are you prepared to sacrifice everything, including your loved ones? When they feel that they've been dishonored, The Order

will not be satisfied by taking your life away… they will hurt the ones that you love the most… like what they did to my father and now my son." He added.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**The Escape**

"Mary, wake up, wake up. We must leave now while everybody's asleep." Carlos whispered. The Scottish Queen tried to open her eyes and saw Carlos giving

her the gesture to be silent. It is near dawn and they both fell asleep on the floor while gazing at the sky. "Carlos, how can we leave this place? The door is

well guarded and we don't know the way out?" Mary anxiously asked. "I have not heard any footsteps outside for the past few hours, perhaps the guards

have left their post. I was able to quietly pick the lock of the door using your hairpin. We must go now while we still can." The prince said as he slowly stood up

and tiptoed his way to the door to listen for any sound from outside. There is nothing but silence, giving them the signal that this is the perfect time to escape.

Slowly he opened the door to take a peek, the hallway seems clear and lighted by tall candle stands. Carlos gives Mary the sign that all is clear. She slowly

stood up and walk towards him. Then he placed his hands on her cheeks and said, "Mary, whatever happens I want you to keep on running and do not look

back. I will walk behind you to make sure that we are not being followed." The Queen nodded and said, "Carlos thank you." Then he opened the door as they

both went outside the chamber slowly. Mary took off her shoes to make sure that they will not make any sound. Then they both walked slowly... Carlos took a

candle from the candle stand and gave it to Mary to lighten up their path. Both remained silent as they approach the stairway. Then they walk down step by

step, minimizing their movement. Upon reaching the middle of the stairway they saw a man sitting near the fireplace whose back is facing them… the man is

motionless, probably he's asleep like the rest of them. Carlos slightly tapped Mary's shoulder, his way of telling her to continue walking. After a brief moment

they are finally at the end of the stairs. They again quietly tiptoed and searched for the door, which is located not far from the man that is sleeping. Slowly

Carlos unlocked the door and in a slower pace turned the door knob trying to prevent any squeak. He let Mary go first, then he followed closing the door

quietly behind him. Now the gate is the only thing that's keeping them captive. The full moon provides them enough light to see the road clearly. Soon the

guards might show up from their rounds, they must climb over the gate quickly but soundlessly! Carlos took Mary's hand as they approach the gate. The prince

tries to calm her down, she is quivering from fear. "Your Majesty, we must hurry." He whispered in her ear. He then proceeded to give her a lift to help her from

climbing. Mary is taking a while to move herself up, her dress may get caught up on the rail and she is being careful… She is almost there… she can feel her

heart pounding… Mary can feel the sense of freedom. Then her feet finally touched the ground. Now she is outside, it is Carlos' turn. The prince slowly placed

his hands on the steel bars, trying to minimize the sound. Then he proceeded to step on the gaps… he is midway and he lost his footing! But he managed

right-away to gather himself without making a noise, much to Mary's relief. After a brief but nerve-racking moment he is finally on the ground to join Mary at

last. The two then hugged each other out of joy. Then afterwards walk farther and farther away from their captor's grip, as they manage to disappear in the

night.

**The Discovery**

That same early morning, the caretaker hurriedly rundown the stairs to alert his master of Carlos and Mary's escape. "Condottiero! (Contractor!) Condottiero!

(Contractor!)" He exclaimed. The man who was sleeping near the fireplace, the same man that the escapees had seen earlier immediately woke up. "What is

it?!" he asked. The caretaker knelt down and said, "They're gone! Our captives had escaped!" "What?! How?! How is it possible for two young people to

escape fully grown armed men?! Bring the guard assigned on that post last night immediately! Bring him to me now!" The man screamed angrily. After a brief

moment the head guard showed up with all the guards. "Forgive me, Condottiero. I did not leave my post on purpose. I needed to accompany one of our men

to the near infirmary, he was feeling ill." Says one of the guards who bowed down. The Condottiero strike the guard's face as hard as he could. "Bring them

back if you want to keep your head! All of you find them now!" He exclaimed. They all promptly left the man's presence to search for Prince Carlos and Queen

Mary. The man begins to breathe heavily as he anxiously paced back and forth, then he made a tight fist and continuously punched through the wall! He is

furious! The caretaker who just witnessed his act begins to tremble in fear as the man walk towards his direction. "We must find them! We cannot allow them

to leave this place! Send an urgent message to the rest of our brothers who are currently in this location; we need their assistance to track them down!

Tell the guards not to mention anything to anyone about this matter. Because when he finds out or even hear that they successfully had escaped, we are all

dead!" He exclaimed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**The Flee**

Carlos and Mary kept on running since they left their captor's place. They are anticipating that by now, their captors have discovered that they escaped. They

find themselves in the middle of nowhere, no signs of any villages nor any structures indicating that the area is occupied. The pathway is now lost… They are

surrounded by plain meadows. If they will not hurry to locate a safe place, the guards will recapture them! The Queen is slowing down, she can barely walk,

and her strength is diminished. "Mary, we must keep moving!" Says Carlos. But she can no longer continue… she settled herself on the ground, trying to catch

her breath. "Carlos, I can't… You must go find us help. Leave me here." She said with an exhausted voice. "No! I am not doing such a thing! I will carry you if I

must!" he insisted. Then the prince slides his hand beneath her shoulders, propping her up and slides his free hand under her knees. The prince is about to lift

her up when they heard horse gallops! They immediately lay themselves on the ground, hoping that the tall grasses will keep them covered. Carlos accidentally

placed himself on top of Mary. His face is closely positioned on top of her face. Then they heard one of the guards whose riding a horse approaching their

direction! To keep Mary from uttering a word Carlos instinctively kissed her! The guard on a horse positioned himself not far from them. "They must be here

somewhere! They cannot go that far! Keep searching the area!" Says the guard to his companions as he begins to leave. After a moment the prince let go of

Mary's lips and he slowly lifted his head to see if the guards had left. "We must stay here for a while. They have already searched this area, chances are they

will not come back." He said. Carlos turned and saw the astounded Scottish Queen. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to." Says the prince as he placed his hands on

her face. The Queen is tongue-tied… she felt the passion on Carlos' lips… the same passion that she felt with Francis and Bash. Before she can say anything,

"I know you are hiding here somewhere!" It's the same guard now on foot who had left a moment ago! Now they have track them down! The two terrified

royals have no choice but to yield as the rest of the guards showed up! "You almost placed us all into deep trouble! Men, tie their hands up! Make sure this

time that the knot is tight enough." The same guard commanded.

**Entreat**

It is early evening when the guards reached their destination and returning with them is Mary and Carlos. As soon as the guards opened the gate, they saw

a man in a dark armor suite waiting in front of the door. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, if you please." He said as he bowed to them. As the door opened, Carlos

gives Mary a brave smile, trying to assure her that all will be well. The two royals are directed to the sala, wherein they saw the same man sitting near the

fireplace; only this time they see his face. "We found them hiding in the nearby meadows, Condottiero." Says one of the guards. "You are a mercenary?!" Asks

Carlos. "That I am." The man answered as he stood up and walk towards them. "What is it that you want?! Ransom? My father, King Philip of Spain will be

more than willing to pay for the both of us. All you have to do is send him a message." Says the prince. The man stood in front of him and said, "Unfortunately

Your Highness that is not what you are here for. If it is mere ransom that we seek, we could have easily accomplished that early on." "Then why are we here?

Who are you working for?" Mary asks anxiously. "Your Majesty, I apologize for your current state. A young woman of such beauty do not deserve to be hidden

in a chamber." Then the man proceeded to touch Mary's face. "Do not touch her!" Carlos exclaimed. The man turned to the prince and said, "Oh well now, did

the prince just issued a command? In this room you have no power!" The prince then said in a threatening tone, "The moment that I free myself with these

ties, the first thing that I will do is cut your throat!" The man just laughed. "In that case, I will give you a head start. Men, cut off their hand ties." Then the

guards did. "Now prince, I think it's time for us to send your father a message. I will be requiring one of your fingers to do that." Two guards held the prince as

the Condottierro prepares to cut his middle finger! "Stop it! Stop it this instant! Take my ring instead!" Queen Mary screams! She immediately took off her ring,

the engagement ring that Francis had given her. "Send this ring to Francis, the prince of France, he will know what it means! But please do not harm Prince

Carlos!" The man stopped, took the ring from Mary and said, "Very well then. Guards, take them to their cell!" And the guards escorted them downstairs and

place them in a cell. Carlos and Mary are ones again under the mercy of their captors. The Queen cannot hide her fear of what had just occurred, she is

shaking. Upon seeing this the prince placed his hands on Mary's face, looked her in the eye and said, "Are you alright? Mary, I cannot thank you enough for

saving me." The Queen gives him a brave smile and said, "I know you would have done the same thing for me." Then Carlos asks, "Is that his name? Is Francis

the man who broke your heart?" She nodded. "Mary, forgive me for asking. I know I do not have the right to." He added. Then Carlos proceeded to caress

Mary's hair, cradled her face with his hands, gave her a kiss on her cheeks, and then hugged her so tightly. Unbeknownst to them is an unidentified man,

staring at their every move in a tiny peephole, while hiding behind the entrance door.


	11. Chapter 11

**NOTE: Hello readers, I love writing this chapter specifically because it reflects the contrast among humans. I hope you do agree. **

**Chapter 11**

**The Decision**

It is almost midday, but Francis refused to leave his chambers. He is lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. It has been weeks since Mary's disappearance,

but there's no word from her abductors nor any tidings from King Philip's spies. The prince is consumed by his guilt for hurting the person whom he loved and

cherished the most. Although he remains optimistic that his fiancee's going to be found, he now wonders what becomes of their relationship. Clearly, Mary will

be forever changed by her abduction… when she comes back, she may no longer be the same person that he knew. The prince is trying to pull himself together

by reminiscing his time with her, the hardships and the happiness that they shared, and what they are about to face as a married couple in the near future.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Francis this is Bash, are you up?" "Yes, come in brother." The prince replied as he prop himself up.

Bash is surprised to see him still in bed wearing his night clothes. "Are you ill Francis?" Bash asks as he sits on the bed beside him. "No, I'm alright. I just prefer

to retire for the entire day. Well, what brings you here? Clearly, you have some important matter to tell me or else you'll be out hunting with Philip." Then Bash

took a moment to gather himself and said, "I have decided to join The Order." Francis is stunned. "You what? Are you out of your mind?! What did father say

about this matter?!" Asks Francis. "Father does not know. I will only join The Order to get the much needed information to help us retrieve Mary and Carlos,

I do not intend to be a real mercenary. Through persistence, I have convinced Philip to help me enter their secret world; I will be under the protection of Philip's

truest friend who is currently a member of the organization." The prince stood up and said, "Bash, I will not allow you to do such thing! You are my brother!

You are my blood! We'll find another way to get Mary back." Bash stood up and replied, "We've been waiting for weeks! There's no sign nor letter from them!

The more we wait, the more we risk Mary's life!" Then a moment of silence. Bash placed his hands on Francis' shoulder and said, "We must do what is

necessary for the ones that we love. If anything should happen to me, I want you to know that you have my blessing to wed Mary. Little brother, I only hope

that I have more than one life to give… I will sacrifice everything for you, for Mary, for father and for France."

**The Letter**

It is late afternoon when a messenger arrived in the Spanish court and with him some news for King Philip. The king is currently attending council, but as soon

as he became aware that a letter has been received by his secretary, he immediately dismissed the meeting and summoned Francis and Bash to meet him on

his private chamber. This might be the letter that they all have been waiting for. The French princes immediately responded. As soon as they entered the

king's chamber, they know that it is indeed a letter from The Order. They saw Philip, sobbing. "Your Majesty, what is it?" Asks Bash. The king handed the letter

to Bash, He and Francis went ahead and read its content_: "No riches can help you save your son. We were about to cut off one of his fingers to send it to you to _

_express the degree of our intent. Queen Mary of Scots instead, offered to send you her ring in exchange for his finger. Make no mistake, we will not stop until our _

_intentions are fulfilled. – X."_ Then Philip handed Mary's ring to Francis, who understood that the letter is not a hoax; he took the ring and kissed it… the ring is

the closest thing that he have left of Mary. "Philip, this means that Carlos and Mary are together! That gives us an advantage. We must act now before their

captives will decide to separate them. Ones we find out where they are being hidden, we will be able to retrieve them both." Says Bash, who now is more

eager to put his plan of joining The Order into effect. Upon hearing this Philip replied, "Bash, you are about to enter the world of the heartless and amoral men;

when they find out that your sole intention for joining is to save the woman that you love, they will not spare your life." Bash looked at the king in the eye and

said, "I understand and accept my fate completely."

**Scorpio**

It is late night when the Condottiero had an unexpected visitor. All the guards are occupied making their rounds and their armed men are now doubled in

number to guarantee that their captives can no longer attempt to escape. The Condottiero knelt down as his unexpected visitor revealed himself.

"Master, I am honored to be at your presence." He said. The visitor whose face is concealed, can only be identified by his scorpion tattoo in his right upper arm.

"Condottiero, I came here unannounced because I heard some troubling news; is it true that you almost lost your captives?!" The visitor exclaimed. "Master, it

is true that they managed to escape, but we tracked them down right away. I promise you, it will never happen again." The Condottiero answered nervously.

The visitor then said, "Your incompetence almost cost us everything! I am not pleased on how you handle your guards! I tell you, when the word gets out that

two young people were able to outsmart us, our credibility will be in question! He will be very furious to hear this!" The Condottiero bowed down, "Master, I

beg for one more chance. I will do better and I will no longer give you shame! He cried. The visitor took a deep breath and said, "I will give you this one last

chance to redeem your honor. Also, I would like that Carlos and Mary will be placed in less restrictive area. I would like them to get familiar with each other."

The Condotierro said, "Yes Master. It will be done as you wish." The visitor then proceeded to walk towards the door, but before leaving he said,

"Remember Condottiero, The Order does not give any second chances!" Then he disappeared in the dark.


	12. Chapter 12

**NOTE: Hello readers, I do believe that you will love this chapter especially if you are fan of the hit series "THE BORGIAS."**

**Chapter 12**

**Neophyte**

Vincenzo is Philip's most loyal and truest friend. They met as two young eager men who wished to change the fate of the world for the better by joining The

Order. They consider themselves brothers through the ceremony conducted the night before they became full members of the organization; as part of their

initiation, they were ordered to perform a blood pact to symbolize their lifetime agreement to watch each other's back. Philip had saved Vincenzo's life

numerous times, a fact that made the latter vow to be at the Spanish King's service all his life. However, when Philip witnessed how the organization instead

of doing good by maintaining the balance of power among nations, is becoming the cause of destruction of humanity, he decided to leave The Order. Vincenzo

in secret, did everything that he possibly can to protect him from the other mercenaries. He warned Philip of The Order's planned assassinations and of

impending attacks against Spain. But despite of all Vincenzo's efforts, the other mercenaries succeeded in capturing his friend; King Charles, Philip's father and

Spain's then ruler, had no choice but to negotiate with The Order to free his son. In the end King Charles agreed to be held captive in exchange for Philip's

freedom. Bash and the Spanish King are traveling together to meet Vincenzo at the Burgos Cathedral tonight. In this secret gathering, they will discuss as to

how Bash can successfully join The Order without raising any suspicions. The Cathedral is empty as the French prince and the King arrived. As their eyes

wander they saw a man fully dressed in black armor suit kneeling at the altar, whose back is facing them. "Vincenzo, my brother, is that you?" Philip called.

The man immediately stood up and as he turns replied, "It is I brother." The two gave each other a hug. "Old friend, it has been a long time." Says Vincenzo.

"Yes, it has. Brother this is Bash, the young man that I told you about." Says Philip. Vincenzo stared at Bash for a moment and said, "Do you understand what

you are putting yourself into? I need to know if you come fully prepared; I promised Philip that I will guard you with my life, but you must know that my

protection has limits; the other mercenaries will not hesitate to take your life when they find out what your true intentions are for joining The Order." Bash

looked at him and replied, "Yes, I am aware of all the dangers that I am about to face." "Very well then, from now on, you will address me as your Master. I will

introduce you to the organization as my apprentice. You must forget your ties in the world… forget who you are and refrain from mentioning anything about

your loved ones for their sake and for yours'."

**The New Accommodation**

Carlos and Mary are traveling in a close carriage accompanied by the Condottiero. The two royals are wondering as to why they are being relocated but at the

same time relieved that they are no longer kept in a cell. Their captors never mentioned a word as to where there destination is… all they know is as long as

they are mobile, it will be harder for them to be rescued. It is now impossible to attempt another escape; they are strictly guarded and watched. The

Condottiero made sure that a caretaker is always with them to serve their needs as well as to keep an eye on them. The carriage finally stopped after a

couple of hours on the road, and the Condottiero opened the carriage door to let them out. As soon as Mary and Carlos stepped out, they can't believe what

they see! They are looking at the beautiful Rocca di Borgia Castle! The castle was originally built for Cesare Borgia, a well-known member of The Order during

his time. Now that Cesare Borgia had been long gone, the castle serves as a refuge for the mercenaries when needed. If they are looking at The Rocca di

Borgia Castle, then that means that they are somewhere in Italy! "I trust that your new accommodation will suit your royal needs." Says the Condotiero.

"We believe that as a Queen and as a Prince, you are still entitled to the life that you have been used to, even if you are being held captive." He added.

Then the guards escorted them inside the castle. Mary's chamber has been fully furnished. Her captors are generous enough to provide her with lavish Italian

dresses and rare jewelries. Carlos' new chamber is as comfortable as that of Mary's. The Prince have been provided with new attires fitting a royal's liking and

his room is large enough for him to conduct activities of his choosing; he is now allowed to engage in activities such as archery and swordplay provided that he

remains indoors. The two royals now have the privilege to go out at the castle gardens so long as they remain with the guards. This new accommodation

seems too good to be true… from being kept in a cell to being transferred to a castle. This made Mary all the more worried… What do their captors have in

mind? Why the sudden change? Is this a trap of some sort? Even Carlos remains skeptical; although he is pleased that they are no longer

being treated as captives, he cannot help but wonder what the mercenaries are really up to.

**The Search**

While Bash is being initiated as a new member of The Order, Francis is travelling back to France with Francois, the Duke of Guise to aid King Henry in managing

the realm and to lead the French spies with their efforts in search for Mary. The prince knows that so long as his fiancée remains missing, chaos in the

courtroom can occur. King Henry is now protecting both the French and Scottish territories from invaders. It is of great advantage and relief that King Philip

agreed with the truce, and that Queen Elizabeth of England kept her promise not to lay siege on Scotland. Unfortunately, there are other enemies that can still

attack France and Scotland; there is Italy, Portugal, Germany, and other unknown invaders whose purpose is to take hold of Europe's most powerful countries.

They must remain vigilant during these times. As soon as they arrived at the French court, Francis immediately proceeded to Mary's former chamber.

He hopes that by going through her possessions, he can find a clue that will aid them to find her. After a brief moment, Francis successfully found Mary's secret

chest; inside the chest are letters received by Mary from her mother and from her Scottish advisers. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary until the Prince

saw an unsigned letter with the red "X" symbol, similar to that of what The Order have sent him when Mary had disappeared! That means that unbeknownst

to them all, The Order has been tailing Mary for a long time! Her abduction has been planned and it is an act done carefully! The Scottish Queen made the

terrible mistake of not alarming the French court of receiving such an unusual and disturbing letter. Perhaps she dismissed the letter as a hoax or as something

that she does not need to be bothered with. Little did she knew that her current ordeal might have been prevented by simply letting Francis know about it.

**What do you think of the story so far? do you find the twist and plot interesting? Please review. Thanks**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**The Division**

Bash have managed so far to keep his true intentions sealed as he spend his days immersing with the other members of The Order. He followed exactly

everything that Vincenzo asks him to do and to say. The young prince found out that although The Order have started as a single organization, it has been

divided between two parties, namely, Traditional and Radical. The Traditional party is composed of the seasoned and more experienced mercenaries who chose

to preserve their old practices and to strictly observe their duty of maintaining the balance of power in all nations. The Radical party on the other hand, is

composed of the much younger and ambitious generation of mercenaries; they take risky offers so long as the deal is right. The latter's aggressiveness and

nonconformity towards The Order's practice and rituals created a huge rip between the two parties. As a result, they mutually decided to part ways; The

Radical party insisted that they prefer to be governed by a single leader and not to be guided by the principles of brotherhood alone, but to focus more on

gaining wealth and power when the opportunity arises. Vincenzo and Bash are currently under the traditional party. Bash have observed how these

mercenaries have dedicated their entire lives and sacrifice their personal happiness for the sake of making the world a lot safer to live in. He is surprised that

despite their extreme influence and riches, the traditional members managed to be grounded and principled. They are men who would risk their lives for their

co-members, but also would not hesitate to punish individuals whom they deem as traitors. Also, the traditional party's symbol is the letter "T", which means

that they are not responsible for Carlos and Mary's abduction. Vincenzo whispers to Bash as they prepare to retire for the day after long hours of combat

practice, "I need to pull more strings in order to identify who's behind their disappearance. It will be with great difficulty but we will sure try. We have no

knowledge of the whereabouts and the identity of the current leader of the Radical party. They have eluded us for decades as they entice more and more

younger members by the day. All we know is when they order a hit, they use the red "X" mark." Vincenzo then took a deep breath and added, "Bash, the

traditional party will soon vanish, unless we find new principled members such as yourself to recruit for us to continue our legacy." The French prince looked at

his protector and replied, "Master, you know why I am here." The mercenary then placed his hand on his apprentice's shoulder and said, "Bash, soon you will

realize that you are destined for greatness… much more greatness than a King can accomplish."

**Attraction**

As days come to pass Prince Carlos and Queen Mary are getting closer and closer. Although they are obviously attracted to each other, the Spanish prince opt

not to pursue anything deeper than friendship with the Scottish Queen. He knows that Mary is still recovering from a recent heartbreak, and that it would not

be wise for him to start courting her… not now… not yet… not until she is ready to welcome a new man in her life. Nevertheless, Carlos feels overprotective of

Mary. He does not allow her to be with the guards on her own. The prince makes sure that he is the one who escorts Mary back to her chamber after their long

walks in the castle garden and after spending dinner together each night. "Your Highness, thank you ones again for your company." Says Mary as she and

Carlos are walking towards the terrace to watch the night sky. "Your Majesty is always welcome. It is my pleasure to be at your service." The prince replied.

Then both sit down as soon as they reached the terrace. Carlos smilingly said, "Mary, I wish that one day, you will come with me to Spain. I want to show you

the garden at court that is admired by all. I believe that you will be pleased." The Queen smiled, took the Prince's hand and replied, "Carlos, It will be my honor

to visit your country. When this is all over, I will look forward for your formal invitation to visit your court and to meet your father, King Philip." Then surprisingly,

Mary gives Carlos a kiss on his cheek, which made them both blush. He reciprocated by kissing Mary's hand and wrapping his hands on her hips, while allowing

her to rest her head on his chest. They both smiled as they gaze at the stars, like they did during their first night together locked inside their captor's chamber.

It is a moment that allows both the two royals to express their fondness for one another; a moment that the Condottiero is witnessing as he remains

hidden behind the near wall.

**The Proposal**

Upon seeing that Carlos and Mary retired for the night, the Condottiero immediately run downstairs and entered the secret chamber located at the lower

ground level of the castle to meet the man with the scorpion tattoo in his right upper arm; the same man who ordered for the two royals to be placed in a less

restrictive area. "Master forgive me for making you wait for so long, but I have good tidings." The Condottiero said as he approaches the unidentified man.

"It is now evident that our captives fancy each other. The Prince seems to be totally mesmerized with the Queen. They are already talking about being

together at Spain as soon as they are free." He added. The unidentified man smiled and said, "Excellent, then we are having progress... Soon it will be much

easier to convince Prince Carlos to agree to our proposal." The Condottiero gave his Master a questioning look which made the unidentified man smile as he

added, "A man who is blinded by love will do whatever it takes to achieve his heart's desire. Do not underestimate the Prince's capability to act all so recklessly

for the sake of her."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Intuition**

"Mary, Mary, my love. Please come back to me. I am waiting." Says Francis. These words woke Mary up in the middle of her sleep! It is just a dream, not a

reality. The Scottish Queen just dreamt about her fiancé; the French Prince is begging her to come back to him. Mary immediately lifted her head, her heart is

beating faster and faster… she can feel her sweat in her forehead… she needs to calm herself down. It is near midnight and the castle seems quiet. She cannot

hear any footsteps from the guards outside her chamber like she used to. The Queen is mentally exhausted from her dream. In her dream, she clearly saw

Francis back in France waiting for her near the lake, where they used to rendezvous. His face is lonely and in pain; she can see the longing in his eyes and can

feel the sincerity in his words that he wants to restore their relationship, the relationship that he had abruptly ended. But of course Mary knows that it is just a

dream… Francis may have forgotten about her the minute she went missing. After all, royalties can get disengage anytime and considering that she's been

gone for quite some time now, chances are Francis have already been promised to another. Mary needs to prepare herself for the worse, when she is finally

released by her captors things might already be different… Francis may have already moved on with another woman and Bash may have already married Lizzy.

She needs to accept the possibility that she may have already lost the two most important man in her life because of her unwilling absence. Her intuition is

dictating her heart to believe her dream, that indeed her fiancé is desperately searching for her and patiently waiting for her return; but her mind says

otherwise. Her mind is telling her to move on and leave the past behind… to consider the idea of opening her heart ones again to fall in love with someone in

her present… someone like Prince Carlos. Mary then finally rested her head back to the pillow, took a deep breath and whispered to herself, "I will always love

Francis, but now it is time to move forward." She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

Meanwhile, same thing is happening to Francis. The French Prince is dreaming about him running after Mary at the garden of Spain, trying to catch her… but

she's running too fast and he cannot keep up! He tried calling out her name… "Mary! Mary! Wait for me!" But Mary did not listen… she continued to run faster…

until she disappeared. Francis suddenly woke up trying to catch his breath! His tears started to fall in his cheeks as a result of his dream of Mary.

He whispered, "No, please no!" As he wipe off his tears. It has been months since his fiancée had disappeared…. Months of longing and agony. He cannot take

this anymore! He can no longer bare the pain of not knowing how she is doing or if her captors are treating her well. The prince immediately stood up, put his

robe on and walk towards Mary's former chamber. Upon opening the door he cannot help but remember the moments that they had shared. He recalled the

time when he had to sleep over Mary's chamber to keep her safe from Tomas. The prince walked towards the bed and sits down. In his mind, he again started

to question himself… "How did I allow things to get out of hand? If only I was man enough that night to accept that Mary's in love with Bash as much as she is

in love with me; and that instead of being furious, I should have handled the situation with an open mind and understanding, then maybe just maybe Mary

would still be here." These thoughts are torture! Francis knows that if he cannot retrieve Mary soon, he might completely loose his mind! His poor soul is full of

guilt… begging for some form of redemption. If the French spies cannot help, then perhaps it is best if he will search for Mary on his own. If he will put up a

disguise, it will be easier for him to remain undetected and free to explore territorial enemies like Italy or Portugal… perhaps Mary's captors are hiding her in

a location where they know that neither the French nor the Scots would suspect. If The Order is truly as cunning as everybody's anticipating, then their best

move is to secure the Scottish Queen in a strategic area, an area that does not belong to France or Scotland. He then made the decision to leave the French

court as soon as the sun begins to rise. He will cross the French borders posting as an ordinary French man. Not all soldiers know how he looks like, so he

can easily pass them. Francis believes in his heart that this is the best way to look for Mary. The prince begins to write a note addressed to his father

explaining that he left to search for his fiancee; he reassured King Henry not to worry and that he will send word as soon as there is news or if ever he

gets into trouble. He also apologized for making this sudden decision and explained that he is doing this not only for his own sake, but also for that of France

and Scotland. He went back to his chamber and quickly dressed and packed only the necessary things that he will be needing. He needs to travel lightly. As

soon as he finished preparing he walked towards King Henry's chamber and left his sealed note in front of the king's door. He successfully avoided the guards

who are making their rounds as he proceeds to the stable and took the fastest horse. He then mounted the horse and off he goes. Francis briefly stopped and

turned around to look at the French Palace, making a promise to himself that when he returns, he will be with Mary. The prince then ride off and disappeared

in the nearby forest as the sun begins to rise.


	15. Chapter 15

**NOTE: Hello readers, after posting chapter 14, I cannot help but to immediately write a follow-up. I am so overwhelmed with ideas right now.**

**I hope that you will love this chapter as much as I love every word of it. =)**

**Chapter 15**

**A Father's Plea**

King Henry is frantic! He immediately called for a morning council as soon as he read Francis' note that he left France to search for Mary. The French ruler cannot

believe that his heir to the throne acted so recklessly! Clearly, Francis is driven by his extreme affections for his missing fiancée to the extent wherein he

disregarded his royal duties and placed himself in grave danger! On the other hand, Henry as a father, do understand that his son has been suffering for

too long; it is time for him to run away and be tough enough to follow his instincts. Still, as a King he will do whatever it takes to secure Francis' safe return.

Francois, the Duke of Guise immediately showed up in the council chamber as soon as King Henry had summoned him. "Your Majesty, I came as soon as I

received your message. What is the matter?" Asks the Duke. "It is Francis, he run away to search for Mary!" He exclaimed. "He did what?! My king, we must

look for him at once! I will lead the search myself." Says the Duke. "Yes do so. Also, what I want you to send a message to Spain to tell Bash to come

back at court; I need him to perform princely duties on behalf of his brother." Upon hearing this the Duke bowed his head and said, "Majesty, there is

something that you should know. Your son Bash had decided to join The Order. He was so persistent in convincing King Philip to introduce him to the

organization. Philip assured your son's safety by asking aid from Vincenzo, his most loyal and truest friend who is currently a member of The Order."

Henry is speechless. His two sons, his two successors resorted to desperate measures to retrieve The Queen of Scots! He requires some time to process

everything that had just happened. The French King needed to sit down and collect himself. After a brief moment he said, "Francois, make arrangements

for me to sail to Spain immediately. Send an urgent message to King Philip that I am arriving at his court within a few days' time; tell him that I am pleading for

his assistance as a father to get hold of Bash. I need to speak to one of my sons. I appoint you to handle the realm together with Queen Catherine in my

absence. Francois, I fully trust in your capability to guard the throne while I attend to serious family matters overseas." The Duke knelt down in front of the

King and replied, "Henry, we've been friends since childhood. I am and I will always be your humble servant. I thank you for your aid in saving my niece, Mary.

I swear to you that I will guard and serve France until my last breath."

**A Brother's love**

Through Vincenzo's connections, he found out what had happen in France. Bash's brother is out there somewhere by himself conducting his own search.

The mercenary is also aware that King Henry is expected to arrive at the Spanish court any day now in hope that he will be able to see Bash. The questions is,

will he let his apprentice know about such disturbing tidings? For sure, Bash will not hesitate to leave The Order's quarters to look for the now missing Francis.

Bash is occupied with his daily combat practice when Vincenzo decided to approach him. "Bash, forgive me for interrupting but I must speak to you in private

this instant. Come, we must go to my chamber." The two walk towards Vincenzo's room and as soon as he closed the door, the mercenary said, "Prince Francis

left the French court to look for Mary. Your father had requested Philip's help to bring you to his presence." Bash is stunned. He did not see this coming.

"Master, I must find my little brother before the Radical party does; I owe my father an explanation as to why I joined The Order, he deserves to hear it from

me personally." Then Vincenzo replied, "You know our rules Bash, once you are accepted as a member, you cannot leave this place." The young prince paced

back and forth, trying to figure out if there is another way. Then finally Bash said, "I will make an appeal to our mercenary brothers… I will now reveal to them

the real reason why I joined the organization; I consider them as my family and they need to know the truth." Vincenzo cannot believe what he just heard, he

said, "Bash, are you out of your mind?! You know what is going to happen… your mercenary brothers will consider your revelation as a grave insult!" Bash

placed his hands on his protector's shoulders and replied, "Master, I trust that there is good in each of them… You must believe that I will win them over.

I will offer them a deal that they surely cannot resist."

**The Revelation**

All the members of the traditional party are gathered by Vincenzo at the assembly hall. Everybody's curious as to why they all have been summoned in the

middle of the night. Bash is already in front waiting for everybody to settle down. The mercenaries are now seated, it is time for Bash to tell them

the truth. The prince gathered all his strength as he stood up, looked at each mercenary in the eye, took a deep breath and begins to utter his appeal.

"My brothers, as the newest and the youngest member of our organization, I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve side by side with such

highly principled individuals. I have only known each of you for a short while, but I trust that you will judge me fairly." The mercenaries started to whisper to

one another. Bash then states his revelation, "I joined The Order to gather information regarding an abducted woman that I love… The Radical Party took her

away from me. I am desperate to get her back for she is the source my life… the reason of my very existence. I know it is selfish of me to use your trust and

confidence for such a personal matter; but believe me if I tell you that if the Radical Party is bold enough to abduct the Scottish Queen, without considering its

consequences to Scotland, then that means that they had violated the very rule that The Order had stood for for centuries. My brothers, I do believe that

something is about to happen… Something that will shift the power of nations, a fall of an empire and the rise of a new one. If we do not act now, then these

evil forces will dominate our world. We exist to serve mankind and not merely for personal gain and power. I humbly ask for your assistance to stand by my

side and fight! Fight for what is right!" Then a moment of silence; clearly, Bash had won them over. One member stood up and asks, "Bash, what will you offer

our organization in return for its service?" Without hesitation, the young prince replied, "My life. I offer to serve The Order until the day that I breathe no more."

Then after a brief moment, all the members begin to continuously tap their tables with their hands, an indication that they unanimously accept his offer;

they just sealed a deal with Bash.


	16. Chapter 16

**NOTE: Another chapter dedicated to Frary Fans...=)**

**Chapter 16**

**Courtship**

"Mary? Mary? Are you with me?" Asks Carlos. Mary, who seems to be occupied thinking about something is interrupted by the prince. "Oh I am sorry Your

Highness, are you saying something?" She replied. It is a beautiful sunny day and the two royals are spending their time sitting on the grass grounds in the

garden, just enjoying each other's company. The Prince smiled and said, "Never mind. Are you alright? You look tired, did you sleep well last night?" He placed

his hand on the Queen's forehead to check if she is ill. Mary is tempted to tell Carlos about her dream of Francis, but she decided not to. "I am well, you need

not worry. Perhaps I am still getting used to seeing guards everywhere we go, no matter what we do." She said. This is indeed an awkward situation;

although they are allowed to have some latitude, every move that they make is watched by prying eyes… they have no privacy at all. The guards are always

standing near them as ordered by their captors. The Condottiero who is staring at the window and closely observing how his captives are interacting, asks one

of the servants to whisper to the guards to give the two young people some space, which they did. Carlos and Mary are surprise as they see that one by one,

the guards walk away leaving them both all by themselves. Now the garden is quiet and empty. There is no more distraction nor presence that can impede

Carlos from talking freely. This is it, this is the Spanish Prince's opportunity to tell Mary how he feels… He's been waiting for months and he can no longer keep

on testing the waters. Carlos took Mary's hand, kissed it and said, "Mary, with your permission, I would like it very much to court you." The queen is astounded.

She does not know what to say. "All I am asking is for a chance to show you how I feel; we have been in each other's company for a while now and during

these times that we are together, I find myself falling for you deeply and madly as days come to pass." He added. Then Mary answered, "Carlos, you know very

well that the heart takes time to heal, the mind needs time to ponder. I cannot give you any answer at the moment, nor promise you that I can equally

reciprocate your affections." The prince place his hands on Mary's face and smilingly said, "My dearest Queen, I am not in a rush to win your heart. I am more

than willing to wait. But please allow me to express my intentions openly, for I can no longer hide the truth that I am in love with you." Then Carlos with

all passion gives Mary a kiss. Although she felt some desire for the Spanish prince, Mary cannot take Francis off her mind. While Carlos is revealing his

affections, all she can think of is the time when Francis proposed to her while they were out boating at the lake in France. She remembered how happy she

was when the French Prince put the engagement ring in her left ring finger and personally asked for her hand in marriage. Francis' gesture that day will remain

in her memory. A teardrop fell on her face which Carlos immediately noticed. He wiped her tear away while saying, "Mary, I promise that soon you will be happy

again… just allow me to love you."

**A Lover's Prayer**

Francis who remains in disguise just boarded a commoner's ship destined to Portugal. It is in Portugal that he would like to begin his search, a part of him

strongly believes that he will find answers in this location. The prince took a deep breath as he watch the vessel to undock. The reality sets in, Francis is now

all by himself. He proceeded to quietly settle himself at the deck where the other passengers are sitting comfortably. The prince had managed to leave

France undetected and without alarming the guards. By now for sure, the entire French court is cognizant of his thoughtless act, an act that definitely will

cause chaos to the council. Francis is fully aware that he left France without a prince; Bash is currently with The Order in an unknown location, and himself well,

he opted to search for the woman that he loves… the woman he simply cannot live without. The prince can only imagine how his father have reacted as soon

as he read his note. King Henry will certainly resort to any means necessary to look for him and for Mary. But these facts do not seem to bother the prince at

all, what matters at this point to him is that he finally had the courage to follow his heart. In Francis' mind, he is already picturing how he and Mary will soon

reunite. He remembered her smile, her laugh, and her scent. He cannot wait to feel the warmth of her touch and of her body ones again. The prince sensed

that his hope suddenly have been fully replenished. Francis is now more than ever, determine to take back what belongs to him and to make amends for his

past mistakes. He is eager to start anew and to forget all the pain and suffering that he had endured, with Mary by his side as his wife and Queen.

Francis smiled while reaching his jacket pocket to pull out Mary's mini portrait. He gently kissed the Scottish Queen's image and whispered, "Soon my love, we

will be together again. I pray that you don't give up… that you will wait for me. I am almost there… do not let go… do not forget me." It is a cool but sunny day,

the tides seem to favor the enamored Francis. He will reach Portugal in a few days; as soon as the ship docks he intends to immediately commence his search.

The prince then hugged Mary's image and with a smile, he looks up at the clear blue sky.


	17. Chapter 17

**NOTE: I am pretty sure MASH fans will love this chapter. =)**

**Chapter 17**

**The Game of Chess**

As soon as Carlos opened the door to his chamber, he is surprised to see the Condottiero playing chess by himself while waiting for him. It has been a long

day for the Spanish Prince; he felt so relieved now that he finally revealed his true feelings for Mary. Although the Queen did not express interest in him yet,

Carlos remains optimistic that soon, Mary will realize that he is the right man for her. "Your Highness forgive my intrusion, but I must have a word with you."

Says the Condotierro as he continues to move the knight piece to get rid of the pawn. "What is this about?!" The prince replied with disgust as he closes the

door behind him. The Condottiero said, "I understand that you do not like me and that if given the chance you will cut my throat in a heartbeat. But I saw

how you care for Queen Mary. I cannot blame you… She is a very beautiful woman. I am offering you my assistance in urging her to give you reply." The prince

walked towards him and said in a threatening tone, "Stay away from Mary! If you ever try to lay your hand on her or dare to touch a single strand of her hair,

I swear that will be the end of you." The Condottiero laughed. "My Prince that is not what I meant. I have no intention of hurting the Queen nor to pluck her

away from you. Although, someone might dare to do such thing." "Who?! Tell me!" Carlos asks curiously as he sits down in front of him. "You see my prince,

in the game of chess, the Queen is the most important piece. She is free to move wherever she wants to go in the chessboard; she can get rid of all the chess

pieces in order to protect the King. That is why players utilize all the other chess pieces to get hold of the Queen. Without the Queen, you will surely lose the

game, it is checkmate!" The Condottiero explained as he used the Bishop to get rid of the Queen leaving the King trap between the Pawn and the Rook. Then

he stood up, hands the Queen piece to Carlos and said, "When you are ready to win Mary's heart, then you and I can have a serious talk. You know where to

find me." The captor proceeded to leave with a smile on his face. Prince Carlos is now left behind wondering what he is talking about.

**His Words**

Mary remembered every word that Bash had said the night when he unexpectedly visited her at the Dunbar Castle… the same night when they had their first

kiss. She recalled how Bash conveyed his affections with such intensity and passion… how he tried so hard to control himself… and how he suffered as he tried

to pull away to prevent things from going further. It is late evening and the Queen does not seem to get herself to sleep. She cannot bear the thought of

Bash being married with someone else. Yes, she knows that before she was taken away, he is engaged with her cousin Queen Elizabeth/Lizzy. Initially she

thought that they will make a lovely couple. Mary even went to the extent of urging Bash to reciprocate the English Queen's obvious endearment, which she

now regrets. How can she be so blind? How can she not see this coming? She was so focused into Francis that she failed to notice the man who is willing to

give up his life for her own sake. When they shared that kiss in front of Francis, she felt no sense of guilt nor had any second thoughts of responding to the

touch of his lips. All she cared about at that time was she saw him acting like a warrior back from the battle, swiftly dismounting from his horse, and running

towards the woman of his life to give her a long awaited kiss... A kiss that will last for a lifetime.

Bash cannot help but think about Mary as he and a couple of his fellow mercenaries are sailing to Spain. He recalled the time when they were sailing to

Scotland and the Queen tried to teach him how to dance in the moonlight. He can still feel her hand resting on his shoulder while his hand is on her hips,

and their free hands were interlaced. All Bash have ever wanted, all he could ever asked for, is to be with her. But it seems fate has its own way of playing with

his emotions. When he finally had the courage and strength to openly express his love, Mary all of a sudden had disappeared. He and the Queen did not

have the chance to talk; Bash did not have the opportunity to let her know that on the night of her abduction, he already had made up his mind not to go

through his marriage with Lizzy… That if she is prepared to fight for their love for each other, so is he. Bash is willing to face the consequences of falling in

love with the same woman that his brother is engage to. Mary's response to his kiss is all that it took for him to risk everything and anything… including his

relationship with his brother. When Bash heard Mary admitting to Francis that she loves them both, she unknowingly gave him the reason to remain honest to

himself and not to settle on a union solely based on politics. Bash can only see himself spending his days serving Mary and getting old with her. It is a clear

night as the young prince remain seated at the deck, waiting for a shooting star to pass. He now wish that the love of his life will stay safe and strong.

"Mary, wherever you are, I will not stop until I find you. I LOVE YOU. You are and you will always be the owner of my heart." Bash whispered as he sees a

shooting star pass by.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Portugal**

Portugal is a country with two rivaling heirs; heirs that have both equal claim to the throne. Its current ruler, King John, lies in his bed unconscious as he

succumbs to grave illness. The Portuguese King did not name his successor prior to his current condition; now that he is incapacitated, the court is left to decide

on his behalf to whom the throne belongs to. This results to what is known as Portugal's succession crisis. The two competing heirs are Jorge, Duke of Coimbra,

the king's only surviving but illegitimate son, and Prince Manuel, who is the king's orphaned first cousin. The Portuguese court's opinion about the heirs remains

divided. Jorge, though politically skilled and highly capable to become a great leader, has the unquenchable thirst for power, making the majority of the nobles

detest him. While Manuel, who is next in line based on his bloodline, is barely 13 years old, making him too young to rule. The court cannot come into

decision who to appoint as regent in case they determine that Manuel is to be their new ruler. For now, Portugal is lost and vulnerable without a head

in their monarchy. Jorge is impatiently waiting for the Pope to grant him legitimacy; the process will take some time… time that he does not have.

If he wants the throne, then he needs to act quickly. This soon-to-be king simply cannot allow the circumstance of his birth hinder him from inheriting

one of the most powerful kingdom in Europe. He is planning to prove himself fit to be Portugal's next ruler by acquiring his own empire. He is prepared to do

whatever it takes to achieve such an ambitious task.

Francis cannot wait for the ship to dock. He cannot stay still as he sees the island getting bigger and bigger. The French Prince disregards the fact that he is

now entering the territorial enemies. As soon as the vessel stop the prince immediately disembark together with the passengers and proceeded to walk to the

streets of Portugal. Francis experiences firsthand how the schism on the succession is affecting the country. He witnesses how the Portuguese people show

their dissatisfaction regarding their county's plight by engaging into riots and rallying in front of the castle gate, demanding that the court must name them

their next king. He risks his own life for this untimely visit. Francis has placed himself to a kingdom in turmoil… a kingdom whose fate hangs in the balance.

**The New Leader**

Meanwhile, back at Spain, the entire court is waiting for King Henry. Philip is sitting on the throne when the herald announce his visitor's arrival.

"Presenting His Majesty, King Henry of France." Everybody at court bowed down to the visiting king as he walk towards his royal host.

"King Philip, no words can express my deepest gratitude for granting my request." Says Henry as the two perform a handshake.

"King Henry, as a father I cannot say no. I apologize that I had a hand in your son's current situation. He is very persuasive." Says the Spanish King.

The French King smiled and said, "Bash does not accept no for an answer. Like his brother Francis, he is willing to risk everything for the sake of love."

The Spanish King answers, "You are lucky to have Bash as a son who committed such as selfless act in service of a friend and of the woman that he desires.

I wish I could say the same thing with Carlos." Before their discussion can go further the herald ones again made an announcement, "Your Majesty and the

court, His Royal Highness, Prince Sebastian of France and his company, are requesting for permission to be admitted to court." King Philip replied, "Their

request is granted." After a brief moment Bash together with his fellow mercenaries emerge. Everybody is stunned; throughout the centuries, they only

heard about the members of The Order through legends and stories… now they are witnessing them enter the Spanish court!

"Your Majesties, as the leader of The Order, my brothers and I are offering our services to you." Says Bash as he and his company bowed down.

King Henry is tongue-tied… If Bash is indeed the new leader of the organization, then that means he already had relinquished his position as a prince!

The astound father immediately requested to be excused as he wishes to have a private audience with his son at the council chamber. Upon closing the door

the French King asks, "Bash, what is the meaning of this?" The young leader answered, "Father, I decided to offer myself for a cause higher than my own…

higher than of France. I do believe that that I can serve my loved ones better as a man whose loyalty belongs to the world and not merely to a single kingdom.

I will always be your son, I beg you not to be afraid on my behalf, for I finally found my life's purpose." King Henry unexpectedly held Bash into his arms and

cried, "Bash, you are not thinking clearly! I know that you are doing this all for the sake of Mary! You are my son… my heir… We need you. France needs you!"

But he replied, "Father, all my life I only loved one woman. If this is the only way for us to retrieve her, I am prepared to dedicate my life in service of The Order.

I already sealed a deal with them… I can no longer take it back." Upon hearing this the king let go of his son, who is now the head of the most powerful

organization that history has ever known. Then after a moment, Bash said, "Father, we must get hold of Francis before our enemies will. Our sources indicate

that he boarded a commoner's ship bound to Portugal. I am currently corresponding with my men who are secretly looking for him; our search must be

conducted discreetly for once the Portuguese court finds out that the heir to the throne of France is in their territory, they will hold him captive."


	19. Chapter 19

**Note: I simply love surprises.. I hope you will too after you read this chapter. =)**

**Chapter 19**

**Desperation**

Carlos is desperate... he is desperate to be loved by Mary. It has been weeks after he made her aware of his affections, but it seems like all the Scottish

Queen can offer is friendship. The Spanish Prince wonders if his unrequited love is resulting from Mary's affection for someone else… someone whom the

Condottiero had mentioned, but not identified during their last conversation. "He must know something." Says the prince as he paces back and forth inside

his chamber. Then he finally decided to open the door and go to the secret chamber found at the ground level of the castle where the Condottiero is waiting

for him. "I knew that you would come, it is only a matter of time." Says the captor as soon as he sees Carlos step into the room. He seems to be occupied

writing a letter of some sort. The prince stood up in front of the Condottiero's table saying, "You told me that someone might dare to take Mary away from me.

I need to know who that man is." The captor stopped writing, looked him in the eye and replied, "Your highness, are you sure you want to know?

You see, I am a firm believer that it won't hurt you so long as you don't know." Then prince strikes his fist on the table and exclaimed, "Who is he?! Who is

he?!" I demand to know the answer!" Then the Condottiero stood up and said, "It is not he, it is they." Carlos gave him a questioning look. He then added,

"Yes my prince, they. I am referring to the two princes of France. Apparently, you are competing with two brothers who are equally in love with Queen Mary.

My sources told me that Prince Francis abandoned the French court to search for her while Prince Bash had enlisted King Philip's aid in order to retrieve you

and the Queen." "My Father is working with my rival?" The Spanish Prince asked himself. The Condottiero place his hand on Carlos' shoulder. "You see, ones

you and Mary are found, she will get reunited with them. It is already difficult as it is for you to win the Queen's heart, imagine if you are to compete with not

just one prince, but two. It has been confirmed that Mary is torn between them, so do not be surprised that she cannot give you her heart… because it belongs

to Francis and Bash." Carlos just froze, he slowly sits down as he tries to understand everything that he just heard. The Condottiero sits beside him and said,

"There is a solution to your predicament, My Prince… but like all solutions, there are terms that must be discussed."

Carlos looked him in the eye and said, "Name your terms, for it will surely be yours."

**Testa di ferro**

"Testa di ferro," translated in English means "Ironhead," is the nickname used by Emmanuel Philibert, The Duke of Savoy. He is by name a well-known political

and military strategist who have unconventional ways of winning battles. This Duke prefers anonymity, no one has seen him nor had the pleasure of his

company… he only shows himself to his secret council…The Order's Radical Party. Ironhead grew up harboring hatred to both Spain and France for taking away

his lands, his title, and his birthright as a King. He considers himself the rightful heir to the throne of the now divided Italy. Ironhead is occupied planning his

strategy for his upcoming battles near the fireplace when he is suddenly interrupted by a knock as his door. "You may enter." He said. It is the Condottiero,

he finally arrived. "Master! Master! Prince Carlos is now willing to accept your terms!" The Condottiero exclaimed as he walk towards him. Ironhead then placed

his right hand on his shoulder, revealing his scorpion tattoo. "Well done, my apprentice. You have made your master proud. Now we shall begin implementing

all our plans. I told you not to doubt a man's desire for a woman." Says Ironhead as he proceeded to sit down. The Condottiero seems to have a query, but he

is hesitant to ask his superior. He is about to leave when he finally said, "Master, is the other master aware of our progress?" Ironhead gave him an assuring

look and said, "He will be as soon as we deliver what he asked.

**An unexpected Guest**

Carlos has been unusually silent today as he spends time with Mary on the terrace. "Your highness, are you feeling alright?" Asks the Queen as she stop

drawing and place the brush on the table to check on the Spanish Prince who's sitting in front of her. The Queen would to like to paint his portrait that is why

he needs to stay still. "Well, you told me not to move. I'm just following your orders." Carlos tried to smile as he answered. "That is not what I meant; it seems

like you are thinking about something else." Says Mary. Carlos suddenly gives her a hug and said, "Whatever I must do, I will do it because I love you. I want

you to remember that." He whispered in her ear. Then out of nowhere, the Condottiero appeared in front of them. "Your Majesty and Your Highness, if you

please come with me. I need to show you something." Mary felt a sense of uneasiness... like she is about to discover something. The two royals stood up and

followed the Condottiero's lead. Carlos holds Mary's hand as they walk… she can feel him trembling. She would like to ask him what is going on but before she

knew it, they are about to enter the secret chamber. The Condottiero open the door and Mary cannot believe who she sees!

IT IS FRANCIS! The French prince is tied up at the chair and his eyes are covered. "Francis! Francis!" Mary exclaimed as she run towards him!

"Mary! Mary! Is that really you?!" He screamed. "Yes, my love it is me!" Mary answered as she takes off Francis' blindfold. Francis cannot believe it!

Mary is alive! She is right in front of him! The French prince cannot help his tears from falling as his fiancée kissed his lips. "Mary, forgive me for being such a

fool. I was wrong to end our relationship. I have been counting days and nights since you were taken away. I love you, and I never stopped." The Scottish

Queen hugged him so tightly and said, "What happened that night is of no importance… What matters now is that we are together." Francis and Mary are so

absorbed with each other that they failed to notice how furious Carlos had become upon witnessing their heartfelt reunion. The Spanish Prince had seen

enough! He walk towards Mary and pulled her away from Francis, who remains tied in the chair. "You no longer have the right to claim her yours! She is mine

now!" Carlos exclaimed. Mary cannot believe it! What happen to the man whom she learned to trust and considered a friend all this time?

"Carlos, what did you do?! Why is Francis here?!" She asked with a trembling voice. "I did what is necessary to make you mine! I made a deal

with our captors to search for your fiancé and to take him here, so that I can use him to urge you to be with me." He answered.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Remorse**

"Carlos, this isn't you! Why are you doing this?!" Mary cried out loud. "It is all your fault Mary, you made me the way I am now! Am I not worth of your love?!

After all the pain and anguish that Francis had put you through, your first reaction upon seeing your fiancé is to hold him close and to kiss him! You still love

Francis despite of everything that he did!" Carlos exclaimed as he drag Mary away from the secret chamber and the Condottiero locks the door, leaving Francis

helpless inside. "Carlos please, I beg you! Do not do this! Francis have nothing to do with how I feel about you. I chose to be your friend because that is all I

have left to offer. I cannot force myself to love you the way you want me to; that would not be fair to either of us. Understand that you mean so much to me

that I don't want to do anything that will hurt you!" Says the pleading Queen. But Mary's words fell on deaf ears, the Spanish Prince just ignored her as he

tightens his grip on her hand and drag her towards his chamber. Upon opening the door Carlos proceeded to overpower Mary! He started kissing her forcefully

and laid her on the bed with all his strength! Carlos used his dominant hand to press both of her hands firmly against the mattress, making her powerless.

He lied on top of her and went ahead to separate her thighs! "Carlos, please don't do this! Please don't do this!" She begs as he uses his free hand to quickly

undress her and start kissing her neck, then her chest. There is no way that the Queen can resist his advances. Carlos is too strong, he will not stop until he

fulfills his desire. Mary's tears started to fall as she makes her final attempt to stop Carlos. "You may possess my body but not my heart! You can never have my

heart! Not this way!" She screamed as she cries. Then Carlos stopped! He suddenly realized how shameful his actions are. This is the woman that he loves

dearly, the woman whom he would like to be with forever. He cannot have her this way… it is simply not right! The prince let go of his grip on her and

immediately stood up. Carlos cannot bear the thought that he is capable of treating her this way. Mary is shaking as she tries to gather herself up and

attempts to cover her chest while sobbing uncontrollably. Her cry broke Carlos' heart into pieces. The prince turned to see his beloved queen, and tearfully

said, "I'm sorry Mary, I'm truly sorry." The remorseful Carlos then leaves Mary alone slamming the door behind him.

**Retribution**

The news have reached Bash that his men were too late, Francis had been taken by the Radical Party while he was in Portugal searching for Mary. Bash begins

to worry all the more because his brother is the third royalty whose been abducted by the same individuals, leaving Scotland without a ruler, and Spain and

France without an heir. The Traditional Party must exhaust all their efforts and resources to finally identify the man who is behind this chaos! If they can't,

then nobody else will. The young leader summoned Henry and Philip at the council chamber in private. The kings are eager to know why they are called.

"Your Majesties please, take a seat." Says Bash as he prepares them to what he's about to say. "Father, Francis is now in the hands of our enemies;

The Order's Radical Party now holds three nations at its grasp. They are getting bolder and more powerful each day. If we fail to act now, all the kingdoms in

the world will be under their control. I ask to speak with you both today because I need to know if you have anyone in mind who has an ulterior motive

for enlisting highly skilled mercenaries to take hold of Mary, Carlos, and Francis." The two kings looked at each other, trying to find an answer to Bash's query.

They begin to compare notes as they try to recall each and every prominent individual they may have encountered during their reign; someone who can benefit

from the loss of the heirs of France and Spain… Someone who despises these two powerful monarchs so much that he went to the extreme of abducting Carlos

and Francis. Then Philip remembered someone, a child named Emmanuel Philibert (who's now nicknamed as The Ironhead), the sole survivor of the House of

Savoy, the last heir to the throne of Italy. "But it couldn't be him." Says Philip to Henry. The French King recalled that for the sake of a peaceful invasion of Italy,

he and Philip chose to exile the young orphaned prince to spare his life about a decade ago, a tactic that worked that made majority of the Italian nobles

surrender to foreign rule. Emmanuel was banished in a place where no one can attempt to retrieve him, a place called Tristan da Cunha, a remote British Island

located in the South Atlantic. A ghost from the past is back to torment them from their wrongdoings, on the expense of their sons! "He is well guarded in that

island to this day, we are both sure of it." Says Henry to Philip. Bash, hearing their conversation and not knowing what they are talking about curiously asked,

"Father who are you referring to?" The Spanish King stood up and replied, "Bash, in order to get hold of the Italian territories, your father and I made the

decision to exile a boy named Emmanuel Philibert, who is the last crown prince of Italy." Bash is stunned. He never thought that his father is capable to do such

cruelty to a helpless child. "You both agreed to send away a child into exile!" The young leader exclaimed. "Bash it was the only way for us to spare his life at

that time. Both the Spanish and the French people demanded his head, but we cannot bear the thought of putting an innocent child to death." Henry placed his

hand on Bash's forearm as he tries to explain. But Bash is furious! He simply cannot stomach what his father and Philip had done. Bash angrily said, "So rather

than ending his life, you resorted to banishing him instead?! No wonder he grew up harboring so much hatred towards us all! He have all the reason in the

world to do so! Mary, Carlos, and Francis are in grave danger because of the both of you! Because of your lust for power and wealth!" Bash can no longer

tolerate their presence, he then walks away, leaving the two kings seeking for retribution from what they had done; a decision that they had wrongfully made

that their sons are now paying for.

**Do you think Henry and Philip deserve to be punished? Post your reviews. =)**


	21. Chapter 21

**NOTE: I am so excited about this chapter.. I hope you are to. =)**

**Chapter 21**

**Restoration**

After the incident with Mary last night, Carlos is trying to divert his attention into swordplay. He cannot find the words to say to her, an apology does not

suffice. He nearly did the unthinkable because of his extreme jealously towards Francis; regardless of what he saw between the French prince and Mary,

he knows that his behavior was unacceptable. The Spanish prince is so into his deep thoughts that he failed to notice the Scottish queen walking towards him.

"Carlos, may I speak with you?" She asked. He was caught off guard. "Mary, I am really sorry about the way I treated you… I don't know what came over me;

perhaps I just can't accept the fact that it has always been Francis. This is the price that I should pay for breaking hearts, it finally backfired… now I know how

it feels not to be loved by the person you care the most." Says the remorseful prince. Mary holds his hand and said, "I know that you are not capable of hurting

me or anyone. I believe that the Condottiero used your affection towards me to convince you to agree with their terms… Carlos, I need to know what your

deal is all about." The Spanish Prince look at Mary in the eye and said, "I have agreed to relinquish my future claim to the throne of Portugal." Mary is

astonished! She never thought that Carlos went that far just to vie for her affection. The Scottish Queen curiously asks, "You have claim over Portugal?

How did that happen?" Carlos then started to explain, "My father, King Philip is the first cousin of King John, Portugal's current ruler. Before King John became

ill, he and my father had a secret agreement that Spain will intervene in case Portugal will be torn between Prince Manuel and Jorge, the Duke of Coimbra, they

are King John's two rival heirs. My father gave his word that he will try at his best capability to aid Portugal if civil war will occur as a result of the Portuguese

court's inability to decide between the two heirs. If worst comes to worst though, King John gave my father permission to take over Portugal, and proclaim

himself as its king." Upon hearing this Mary is beginning to understand the motive behind their abduction. Clearly, Carlos was taken to make him renounce his

claim to the throne of Portugal, and perhaps they used her as an instrument to make the Spanish Prince agree. But something does not add up… Why was she

taken? Why the Queen of Scotland? And why is now Francis included to the equation?

**Inside the Church of Bones**

It is almost midnight as Ironhead is patiently waiting inside The Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins, also known as The Church of Bones of the

City of Rome. At present day, this holy place is named as such because its walls are decorated with the remains of over 4,000 Capuchin monks who died

between the years 1500 to 1870; the church serves as their final resting place since subterranean cemeteries are nothing new in Rome. Ironhead is admiring

the bone wall decoration when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He then turns around and says, "Master, it has been a while." Ironhead hugged his companion,

who is now revealed as none other than Jorge, the Duke of Coimbra. The two men sit near the church altar as they begin their conversation. Jorge asks,

"Is everything going according to plan?" Ironhead answers, "Yes master, our captives remain clueless as to why are they being detained. We were able to

convince Prince Carlos to agree to our terms; it is only a matter of time that we will get through Prince Francis." Jorge smiles as he says, "Then that is great

news. Resume what you are doing and soon, we will establish our own empire. Stay focus and do not let your anger get the best of you."Ironhead nodded

and reply, "I swear to you master that no harm will come to Carlos and Francis until our mission is accomplished. I will never disobey you, you are like a father

to me. You saved me from my exile and you raised me as you own son. I am and I will always be grateful for that." Then Jorge stood up as he prepares himself

to leave, but before he walks away he said, "Emmanuel, through your leadership, The Order's Radical party is getting more and more powerful every day.

As the Master of the Order of Santiago and the Order of Aviz, I welcome you to our secret military organizations. Ones your mission is accomplished, you will

join me and your new brothers at arms to conquer all the world's territories. Imagine you and I ruling the entire world! No Kings nor countries can go against

us! They will all bow down!" Ironhead replies, "Master, I cannot wait for that day to come. Soon, I will have my revenge towards Philip and Henry!

They will not only pay with their Kingdoms, but also with their lives and the lives of their successors!"

**A Prince's Sacrifice**

It is near dawn when Mary feels a gentle touch on her cheek. She immediately woke up and sees the French prince gesturing her to be silent.

"Francis, My love." She whispered happily as they both give each other a hug. "How did you escape?" Asks Mary who still cannot believe that she's with him.

"Prince Carlos freed me and asked me come to your chamber to get you out of this place. He is currently distracting the guards by drinking wine with them at

the kitchen. We must go now quietly while we still have the chance." Mary immediately dresses up and take only her necessary items. After a brief moment they

are ready to leave. Francis then started to gently tap the walls, then afterwards he manage to locate a secret door! The prince immediately pushed the door

and they both find a secret passage, their only way out without being caught. Mary gives Francis a questioning look and he says, "Rocca di Borgia Castle is well

known for its secret doors. It allowed its former owner, Cesare Borgia to successfully elude his assasins. As soon as Carlos told me where we are, I know that

all rooms are connected into a passageway." Mary then asks, "Do you know where this walkway will lead us?" The French Prince smiled and said, "Based on

what I know, we will end up somewhere in the nearby forest… At least that is what I've learned from my previous readings about this Castle." Then the two

royals take a lantern with them to light up their way. Mary entered first then followed by Francis, slowly closing the secret door behind him.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**The Duke of Coimbra**

It is late afternoon as Jorge, the Duke of Coimbra is spending his time at Castelo de Guimaraes, his residence at Portugal. The Duke is sitting at the terrace,

trying to reminisce his childhood. As he stare at the castle garden, images begin to appear from his memory. Jorge remember the times when his deceased

older brother taught him how to use the sword, how to hunt, and how to use the bow and arrow. He and his late brother shared a bond that no one can

understand; they share the same interests, beliefs, and ambitions. They were inseparable since they were young. Tears begin to fall on the Duke's cheeks

when he recalled the day that he received a letter stating that his brother had been killed. He was completely devastated, he felt like the whole world had

turned against him. After a few days of grieving alone, Jorge went to see his father, King John and demanded an answer as to why his brother was killed.

The king only explained to him that he was killed while serving Portugal, and that he died fighting for his honor. Jorge was not satisfied with the king's

explanation so he went ahead and conducted his own queries. He found out about a year ago that the perpetrator of his brother's death are the Princes of

France, Bash and Francis. As soon as he discovered who are responsible for his loss, he immediately enlisted Ironhead's help to secretly follow the two French

prince. Francis and Bash's activities have been tailed for the past couple of months allowing Jorge to know more about them. Ironhead also had confirmed that

the princes are both enamored to the same woman, Queen Mary of Scots. This crucial information instigated the events that followed. Jorge believed that he

will inflict the worst pain if he manage to take away the person who mattered to Francis and Bash the most. He then ordered Ironhead to send his men to

Scotland to abduct Mary. The night when Mary and Francis had a heated argument was the time when they decided to implement their plan, which they were

able to perform successfully. After he wipes off his tears, Jorge grabs a mini portrait of Prince Tomas out of his jacket pocket and he exclaimed, "Soon my

brother, I will fulfill my promise to you that I will avenge your death! Before long, your murderers will join you in the afterlife!"

**Camerino**

Francis and Mary had successfully escaped the castle and are now running in the nearby forest. They have to get out of the forest and find a place to hide

before sunrise. "Francis, do you know where the nearest village is?" Mary asks as they both try to slow down. "The nearest town is Camerino, the home of the

University of Camerino of Italy. Perhaps we can seek aid there since it is run by friars. As soon as we reach the university, I will send a message to King Philip

and to my father to come to Italy at once to rescue us and Prince Carlos. We will hide at the dormitory, surely our captors will not suspect a university run by

friars to harbor runaways." After resting briefly, the two young royals proceed to run again. After an hour, they finally see a pathway; they walk towards it

and shortly afterwards the Town of Camerino emerge. Francis and Mary are both relieved; now all they have to do is locate the University, which did not take

them long. They are immediately accepted and tended by the friars. Francis and Mary briefly introduced themselves and tried to explain to the friars what had

happen to them and why they must temporarily hide. They too emphasize that they must not speak to anyone about them. The friars understand their

situation and the risk of helping them to elude their captors. The French prince also requests for their messengers to carry his letters to Spain and to France,

to make the kings aware that they are all here in Italy. As soon as Francis handed his sealed letters to be delivered, the friars provided them both a safe

place to stay for the night. Mary immediately lay on the bed to rest her body and Francis lied beside her. They both take a deep breath as they try to calm

themselves down. The French Prince turns his body towards the Scottish Queen, caresses her face and tearfully said, "I thought that I will never see you

again… Mary, these past few months, my life has been nothing but a mess. I am sorry about all the hurtful things that I had said; believe me, I will regret

what I did that night until the rest of my days. I now understand how you feel; when this is all over, I will accept whatever decision you will make." Mary wipes

off Francis tears using her hand and reply, "Francis, I will always love you... Nothing will ever change that. However, for now it would not be fair for the both

of us if I promise myself completely to you. I ask you to extend your patience and your understanding… because the truth is, I am still torn between you and

Bash. I know it is hard for you to hear the truth ones again but you deserve to know how I feel. I cannot decide until I will have the chance to see and speak

to your brother." Francis just smiled, then he place his forehead against Mary's and reply, "It takes a man to do what you ask; I may no longer be the sole

owner of your heart, but all I care about at this moment is that you are safely here with me, that's all that matters." Then he proceeds to kiss Mary's cheeks.

"Goodnight, my Beloved Queen." Francis whispered on her ear as he wrapped his hand on her hip and closed his eyes.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**A New Hope**

Bash is in the middle of sorting out the leads provided by his sources at the council chamber when he hears a knock. "You may enter." The young leader

answered. It is King Henry. "Son, can I disturb you for a moment?" Bash, still upset about what he had found out about Ironhead without looking at his father

responds, "I am quite occupied right now father, I will send for you ones I am done." The King walk towards Bash and said, "I understand that you are

still angry. But you must believe me, I never thought that my past actions will result to endangering the lives of others and of my loved ones. I thought we

were doing the right thing. If only I can switch place with Francis, Carlos, and Mary, I will." Bash looks at the king and reply, "It is too late now for regrets

father; the odds are against us in retrieving them. We are running out of time and of option; with the Radical Party possibly working with another secret

organization, I am beginning to lose hope of locating them. Understand that right now I am desperate! I am desperate because regardless of my position,

I still cannot do anything to help them!" Then a moment of silence. Henry finally said, "For what it's worth, I would like you to know that I am proud of you son.

You did a selfless act by swearing an oath of lifelong service in The Order to get the help that we need." Bash took a deep breath to calm himself down.

Clearly, the king is remorseful and that his anger towards him does not make the situation better. The young leader places his hand on his forehead.

"Father, right now all I care about is their safe return. If our suspicion is true that Emmanuel Philibert is behind this chaos, then he is driven by revenge not

lust for power, which makes him more dangerous and cunning. A man run by hatred is a man capable of all things; he simply will not stop until he quenches his

thirst for vengeance. We know for sure that he is not acting on his own, perhaps we have more enemies than we thought." Upon hearing what Bash had said,

King Henry all of a sudden remembered something… Francis is abducted while he is in Portugal, the Kingdom of the late Prince Tomas, who was slain in France

by Bash and Francis while defending Mary. Prince Tomas unsuccessfully vied for the Queen of Scot's affection, which then caused him to use his position to take

Mary by force. Prince Carlos as revealed by King Philip, is the future King of Portugal provided that the Portuguese court cannot decide between King John's two

rival heirs, Prince Manuel and Jorge, the Duke of Coimbra. The three missing young royals have some connection to Portugal. "Bash, do you think it is possible

that Prince Tomas have a kin that is seeking to avenge his death?" asks the King. Bash became curious and said, "Father, Prince Tomas died over two years

ago; if there's someone who would like to seek revenge, why not sooner? Why now?" Henry then replied, "Because whoever he may be, he patiently waited

for the right time to strike; he carefully planned everything, that is why he is always one step ahead of us." Bash then immediately called for one of his

mercenary brothers who is outside the council chamber. "Brother, I am sending you to Portugal to make queries about the late Prince Tomas.

Ask if he had any known kin that may be connected to any secret organization." The mercenary reply, "Yes Master, I will leave at once."

**Bonding**

It is midday when Mary opens up her eyes. She still feels exhausted and her feet are swollen from their long run last night. Francis woke up early, he left a

letter beside Mary which she immediately opened_. "Mary, by the time you wake up I will be down at the kitchen preparing your meal. I will come back as soon as_

_ I'm __finish. – Francis."_ Then before she knows it, Francis opens the door carrying her meal personally made by him. "Good day my love, I hope you slept well."

Says the French Prince as he sits down beside the bed and lays the wooden food tray at the near table. "Oh I almost forgot about these." Francis then

revealed that the food tray has a second layer, and when he opened it, he brings out a bouquet of wild flowers, freshly picked and hands it to her.

Mary smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Highness for your thoughtfulness." He answers," You are welcome, Your Majesty." Then for some reason, they both

feel self-conscious … this is not their first time together alone but it seems like their time apart made them both dream of this moment and now that their

dream is a reality, it feels surreal. "Uhmm, so Francis, what have you been up to for the past couple of months?" Mary asks as she started to eat.

"Besides desperately searching for you, nothing else My Queen. You see, you do have a way of leaving chaos in your wake." The Prince smilingly replied.

Mary cannot help but laugh at his remark. "Forgive me My Prince, it was never my intention to do so. I guess—" her sentence is interrupted by a kiss.

Francis pressed his lips on her lips with such intensity and desire that Mary have no choice but to surrender. He wrapped his hands on her hips and she placed

her hands on his neck. The prince slightly moved his lips from side to side applying a slight pressure on her lips, making them both yearn for more.

The Queen suddenly feels her body warmed up pushing herself give his neck gentle caresses. The Prince responds by gently stroking her ears then down to

her spine, arousing her deepest senses. With both their eyes close, they regain their passion towards each other, re-establishing their bond. "Mary, I love

you." Francis whispered as he continuously kisses her and proceeds to slightly nibble her lips. But then he suddenly thought of his brother Bash and his

affection towards Mary. By now for sure, he is doing everything that he can to track them down. Although he would like it very much for things to go further,

it just does not feel right. Before things can truly get more heated up, he opt to gentle pull off his lips and to settle just hugging her tightly. Mary feels his heart

beating fast, perhaps a sign of his hesitation, but she decides to be silent about it. The prince slowly let go his grip, holds her chin and said, "When you are

ready, I will be more than happy to be the sole owner of your heart forever."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Rage**

The Condottiero cannot believe it! Francis and Mary are both gone! He finds the guards together with Carlos passed out from drinking wine at the kitchen.

The angry mercenary exclaimed, "Wake up you fools! Our two captives have escaped!" Then he tries to violently shake their backs. The guards are obviously

not in their functional state, they can barely open their eyes. The Condottiero gets a pail of water and splash it around the guards, waking them all up.

"Search the nearby forest and all the villages now! Do not come back until you find them both!" he angrily said. They all hurriedly left. Carlos remains seated

while the Condottiero approaches him and said, "You have nothing to do with this mess, don't you?" The Spanish Prince acted like he can barely stand, he

went back sitting down and responds, "No… obviously not." Then he went back to sleep. This is a catastrophe! The Condottiero will be hanged by Ironhead

when he finds out that they lost The French prince and The Scottish queen! They need to track them down before King Henry and King Philip find out where

they are. The Radical party is not ready to face the combined massive army of France and Spain! They need time to communicate and to organize a battle

strategy with their brothers from The Order of Santiago and The Order of Aviz. Where can they be hiding? There is no way that they can go far by foot.

They are somewhere near the castle, that's for sure.

**Silver Lining**

The message from Francis finally reached the Spanish Court; King Philip cannot wait to tell Henry and Bash where the three missing royals are.

"Philip, what is it?" Asks Henry anxiously as he and Bash enters the council chamber. "I bring you good tidings my friends; Mary and Francis sent a message

that they are in Italy! They have successfully escaped their captors and that they are currently hiding in the University of Camerino. You need not worry,

they are under the protection of the friars. Carlos remains captive at the Rocca di Borgia castle, but Francis reassures that he is well." Upon hearing the news,

Bash immediately called one of his mercenary brothers who is standing outside the council chamber. "Brother, it is time. Send word to Vincenzo to assemble

and to equip every mercenary to travel to Italy; we shall wait there for Spain and France's armies to come. A war is coming… a war between us and those

who dare to shift the powers of nation. We must all prepare; this war will determine all of our fates." The mercenary immediately left. King Henry sends

an urgent message to Francois, the Duke of Guise to gather and to lead the majority of the French troops to march to Italy; he gives him strict instructions to

tell no one about their impending attack. They must all act discreetly for The Radical party may have spies lurking inside the French court. King Philip is doing

the same thing; he dispatched his fastest rider to go to the camp of Spain's army to tell the generals to prepare themselves for battle. All the forces will

meet at Asiago Plateau, at Veneto, Italy where they could camp and plan their battle strategies. They must arrive at Italy first before their enemies will.

For sure, the Radical Party will summon all its connections to win the war. While all of them are occupied making arrangements, the mercenary who went to

Portugal arrives. He right away walk towards Bash and whisper something. Afterwards, Bash announces, "Your Majesties, I believe we finally identified the

culprit; it is Jorge, the Duke of Coimbria, the younger brother of the late Prince Tomas, also one of the heirs of Portugal. King Philip is shock to hear that his

first cousin once removed is responsible for all these chaos. The Spanish King is very much aware the Jorge is the leader of The Order of Santiago and The

Order of Aviz, the two major military forces in Europe; these orders are highly trained fighters who never lost a battle that is why Portugal remains

unconquered by any invaders. Their main force is at Lisbon, Portugal's capital. These armies take orders only from the King of Portugal himself or from the heir

to the throne if for any reason, the King is incapacitated. "Henry, I must travel to Portugal this instant. I need to ask permission from the Portuguese court to

temporarily name me as their king; this will render Jorge powerless. Once I am King of Portugal, I will have full control over their forces. I leave the Spanish

army under your command. I will send word as soon as I make progress. Surely, the Portuguese court will grant my plea. Portugal has been suffering from their

division of power for too long." King Henry nodded, places his hands on Philip's shoulders and said, "Thank you my friend, France is forever grateful for your

assistance."

**The Letter**

After making all the necessary arrangements, Bash is finally left by himself allowing him to sit down and begin to write a message for Mary. The news that she

is safe ended the months of his misery. What should he tell her? Where should he begin? The young leader takes a deep breath as he tries to determine the

right words to say. Then he finally proceeds to slide his pen to the paper. _"Mary, my love, not a day goes by that I have not thought about you. The night _

_that you disappeared is the night that I died; my heart has been in agony and in despair not knowing where you are and if you are doing well. I want you to_

_ know that my engagement with Lizzy did not push through, I simply cannot commit myself to another because my heart belongs to you, and to you alone._

_ I love you. Please wait for me –Bash."_ He then asks one of the messengers to instantaneously travel to Camerino University to personally hand his letter to

Mary. Bash smiles as he sends his letter away, soon he will see her and they will be together ones more.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**The Challenge**

The word is out! Ironhead is made aware by the Condottiero that his two captives had escaped and that they cannot be found anywhere! The Radical Party's

leader is about to face off with his enemies! He immediately traveled back to Rocca di Borgia castle to intensively prepare and plan every single strategy that

he will apply in order to win the battle against the combine force of France and Spain. Ironhead is occupied writing an urgent letter to Jorge when the herald

came in running to his chamber and exclaimed, "Master! Our brothers from Portugal have sent a message that King Philip arrived this morning at the Portuguese

court to appeal to all the lords to name him as The King of Portugal!" He immediately stood up and angrily said, "What?! We cannot allow that to happen!

If Philip becomes the King of Portugal, our brothers from The Order of Santiago and The Order of Aviz will have no choice but to follow his command! Where is

Jorge?! Where is he?!" The herald then replied, "Master, there is no news about The Duke of Coimbra. Our brothers believe that he opted to hide somewhere

together with his generals to launch a covert military operation against our enemies to prevent Philip from succeeding. Then one of his men came in.

"Master! The Traditional Party have discovered our location! They are now marching towards Asiago de Pleateau! Before any of them can utter a word, they

heard a voice coming from outside the castle. "Ironhead! You are completely surrounded! Release Prince Carlos and your lives will be spared!" It is Bash!

Together with Vincenzo and the rest of the mercenaries! Ironhead immediately went to the terrace and saw his former colleagues who now is led by the young

leader. "I would rather die than surrender to you, Prince of France! If you think that you and your men can easily defeat us, you are dead wrong!" Bash then

dismounts to his horse and exclaimed, "Then let's settle this between ourselves! Right here, right now! As the leader of the Traditional Party, I challenge you

to a hand-to-hand combat! Whoever should win, will become the leader of both parties! Our dispute is personal, let us prevent further bloodshed!" Ironhead,

knowing that they are outnumbered have no choice but to accept Bash's proposition. He then made a sinister smile and replies, "Very well, Prince of France.

I accept your challenge! But be warned, I will show you no mercy!" Bash proceeds to remove his armor with the help of Vincenzo for the combat.

"Master, Ironhead never lost a fight, I know because I trained him. You must knock him unconscious." Vincenzo whispered. Ironhead then finally emerge

accompanied by his men. Both leaders are ready to engage to the fight of their lives as they walk towards the center for all to witness their encounter.

No one is allowed to intervene at any time. It is almost sunset when Bash and Ironhead begin to trade shots; the former is patiently waiting for the chance to

knock his opponent out as advised by Vincenzo, while the latter is aiming to the body. Bash bravely endures Ironhead's fists and successfully blocks all major

shots aimed towards his head and chest. Both individuals are covered with blood and sweat as the fight continues. After taking a few more blow in the body,

Bash seems to slow down as his strength is beginning to diminish. The traditional leader lost his footing while trying to aim towards the head and fell on his

knees while the radical leader remains standing. Ironhead immediately walk towards Bash and went behind him. He knelt down and positioned himself to break

the young leader's neck. "You know, for a young and new mercenary, you did quite well; you made me bleed." Whispers Ironhead to Bash's ear as he is about

to wrap his arms around the fallen prince's neck. Bash takes the opportunity to bump his head against Ironhead's making him temporarily lose his senses and

he fell on the ground! Bash slowly stood up in front of his semi-awake opponent and exclaimed, "I am no murderer! The Order's council will decide your fate!

If you must die, let it be through the hand of those whom you betrayed!" The Traditional party rejoiced as the Radical party bow down to swear their

allegiance to their new leader! It is now clear that Bash had won the fight.

**Torn between two brothers**

As soon as Jorge heard that King Philip arrived at the Portuguese court, he immediately went into hiding. The duke knows that he must act now while Philip is

still in the process of appealing his kingship to Portugal. He plans to use The Order of Santiago to secure his hold at Lisbon and The Order of Aviz to travel to

Italy to get hold of Prince Carlos; incase he will be in the losing end, he can use the Spanish Prince as his hostage to bargain with Philip. Jorge have no idea

that Ironhead has already fallen. The anxious duke is currently discussing his battle plan with his loyal generals inside the secret chamber at Igreja do Carmo,

also known as the Carmo Church at Lisbon. "Brothers, we must remain steadfast to our goal of creating our own European empire. We are so close into

acquiring absolute power! We cannot be hindered by the Spanish king nor any king in achieving our ultimate goal!" The Duke of Coimbra exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Bash immediately travels to the University of Camerino after only briefly recovering from his fight with Ironhead. He simply cannot wait to see

Mary! The leader of The Order eagerly dismounts to his horse and rings the bell of the University's gate, it is early evening when he arrived. One of the friars

came out and opens the gate for him. "Father, I am Sebastian from the House of Valois. I wish to see Queen Mary and Prince Francis." He said.

The friar replied, "Your Highness, the French prince have retired early, but the Queen of Scots is at the chapel praying." Bash run towards the chapel without

delay. Upon opening the chapel's door, there he sees Mary, with her back turned towards him, silently praying in front of the altar. Bash felt like he cannot

catch his breath… the sight of her made him so vulnerable… He gathered his remaining strength to make himself walk towards her. Mary have no clue that she

has company, she is submerged in citing her petitions. Then the Scottish Queen felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and she hears a voice that she's been

longing to hear for the past couple of months. "Mary, my love." She immediately turns and she sees Bash! She cannot believe it! Mary cannot help but to let

her tears fall. "Bash! Is it really you?!" She exclaimed as she proceeds to hug him so tightly. With teary eyes, the young leader replied, "Yes, my love it is I.

I've been praying for this moment for so long." The two young royal close their eyes as they feel each other's heartbeat… This is Bash's opportunity to tell her

how he truly feels. "Mary, I love you! I love you! My feelings for you have not change, not even a bit." He proclaims as he locks his lips with her lips.

Unbeknownst to them is Francis witnessing their heartfelt reunion; the prince of France is standing outside the chapel's open door, bravely maintaining his

composure as he sees his fiancée obviously torn between two brothers.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**The Decision**

It is near dawn and Mary is still wide awake; she is still thinking about her reunion with Bash earlier at the chapel. They were not able to talk much because

he needed to travel back to Asiago de Pleateau to meet King Henry. Jorge is still at large; it seems like the Duke of Coimbra just simply disappeared. Now that

King Philip have successfully convinced the Portuguese court to name him as the King of Portugal, The Order of Santiago and The Order of Aviz are now

officially under his control which means Jorge is now all alone and powerless. He is no longer considered a threat wherever he may be hiding. Such good tidings

must make the Queen of Scots happy since the chaos is finally over. But now she faces a more difficult task… she must choose between Francis and Bash.

Whatever decision she will make will change their lives forever. Mary is fully aware that Bash is now the leader of The Order; he made a deal with the

mercenaries that he will serve The Order until the end of his days in exchange for their assistance in retrieving Mary. By doing so, Bash had renounced all his

rights and privileges as the prince of France. The only way for her and Bash to be together now is if she will decide to give up her royal title and become a

mercenary herself. On the other hand, if she chooses to honor her previous engagement with Francis, her beloved Scotland will gain France's allegiance and

she does not need to give up anything. If only it is that easy to choose between the two princes equally loved by the Scottish queen.

The sun is about rise when Mary hears a knock at her door. "You may enter," she said. It is Francis. "Mary, I trust that you slept well?" He asks as he walk

towards her bed and gives her a kiss. She lifted her head and reply, "My love, there is something that you must know. I decided that-." Her sentence got

interrupted when Bash suddenly showed up! "I ask pardon from you both for I did not have time to announce my arrival but it is imperative that Mary and I

must talk." He said as he appears to be in a rush. "Francis, do you mind if I will have a moment alone with your fiancée? I promise I won't take long."

The young prince immediately stood up and said, "Of course brother, you may." Francis then proceeds to leave and closed the door behind him. Bash slowly

approach Mary and sits beside her. He took her hand, placed it in his cheek then kissed it. "Mary, before you say anything, please let me speak. My love for

you has no boundaries… it has no end… I hope and pray that you will always remember that." Bash took a deep breath and added, "I want you to know that I

am setting you free, you need not to choose for my life is no longer my own. I made an oath to serve The Order, an oath that I must keep." Bash is trying to

hold back his tears as he clearly sees Mary's dismay. The Queen of Scots started to sob. He gently lifted her face, wiped her tears using his hands and said,

"My love, I beg you not to be sad, for I leave you in good hands. Francis is a good man; he loves you and I know that you love him too… you always had.

I may be out of sight but know that I will be watching you from a distance; I swear that no harm will ever come to you. I love you and I always will."

Mary kisses Bash all so passionately… so intensely that if he will not pull back, he might change his mind. The young leader unwillingly let go of her lips and she

wrapped her arms around his neck, clearly expressing that she wants him, and she's begging him to stay… even for just a little bit longer. The Queen of Scots

with a trembling voice says, "My love, if only you and I have the liberty to be together; if only we are not bound by duty, then I will not hesitate to leave

everything behind and together we will disappear. I am forever thankful for your sacrifice, and for your love. One day, if fate allows it, we will be together…

if not in this lifetime, perhaps in the next." They both held each other so tightly, both not wanting to let go. Moments have passed... Alas, their time

together is up. Bash needs to go back to The Order to fulfill his part of the deal. He is now solely responsible to lead the mercenaries on their mission of

maintaining the balance of power between nations. He gently let go his grip and kissed Mary one more time and smilingly said, "Perhaps you are right...

One day, fate will make a way for us never to part again."


End file.
